Omnivision global shutter image sensor targets the Metaverse

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Omnivision has announced what is claims is the industry’s first and only three-layer stacked BSI global shutter (GS) image sensor.

The OG0TB is said to be the world’s smallest image sensor for eye and face tracking in AR/VR/MR and Metaverse consumer devices, with a package size of just 1.64mm x 1.64mm. It has a 2.2µm pixel in a 1/14.46-inch optical format (OF).

The CMOS image sensor features 400x400 resolution and ultra-low power consumption and is suitable for some of the smallest and lightest battery-powered wearables.  

“Omnivision has developed the world’s first three-layer stacked global shutter pixel technology and is implementing it in the smallest GS image sensor with uncompromising performance,” said David Shin, staff product marketing manager – IoT/Emerging at Omnivision. “We pack all of these features and functions into a ‘ready-to-go’ image sensor, which provides design flexibility to put the camera in the best place on some of the smallest and slimmest wearable devices.”

Shin continued, “Ultra-low power consumption is critical for these battery-powered devices, which can have 10 or more cameras per system. Our OG0TB BSI GS image sensor consumes less than 7.2mW at 30 frames per second (fps).”

The worldwide market for AR/VR headsets grew 92.1% year over year in 2021, with shipments reaching 11.2 million units, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly AR/VR Headset Tracker.

New entrants as well as broader adoption from the commercial sector is expected to drive the market as headset shipments are forecast to grow 46.9% year over year in 2022. In fact, IDC said that it expects this market to experience double-digit growth through 2026 as global shipments of AR/VR headsets surpass 50 million units by the end of the forecast, with a 35.1% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR).

The OG0TB GS image sensor features the company’s most advanced technology including:  PureCel Plus-S stacked-die technology; a three-layer stacked sensor with pixel size at 2.2µm in a 1/14.46-inch OF to achieve 400x400 resolution; Nyxel technology that enables the best quantum efficiency (QE) at the 940nm NIR wavelength for sharp, accurate images of moving objects; a high modulation transfer function (MTF) that enables sharper images with greater contrast and more detail; and the sensor supports a flexible interface, including MIPI with multi-drop, CPHY, SPI, etc.

The OG0TB GS image sensor will be available for sampling in Q3 2022 and in mass production in the 2H 2023.