High resolution achieved by adopting a stacked structure for the pixel and signal processing sections.

Sony announced the release of the IMX324, a new 1/1.7-type stacked CMOS image sensor.

The IMX324 features 7.42 million effective pixels, the industry's highest resolution, and an RCCC filter for front-facing cameras used in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Sony plans to begin shipping samples in November 2017.

This image sensor has about three times the horizontal resolution of existing products, allowing it to capture traffic signs located about 160 meters away in high definition. In addition, by incorporating a pixel binning mode to improve sensitivity even in low-light environments and achieving a high sensitivity of 2666mV, it is possible to photograph pedestrians or obstacles even in dark nights corresponding to moonlight.

In addition, even in environments with uneven and mixed light and shadow caused by headlights or streetlights during night driving, precise images and environmental recognition are possible by alternately capturing dark areas at high sensitivity and bright areas at high resolution, followed by signal processing.

For the first time in automotive image sensors, a stacked structure was adopted in which the pixel portion and the signal processing portion were stacked, thereby achieving high resolution while realizing a small size and low power consumption.

This image sensor is expected to be compatible with the 'EyeQ4' and 'EyeQ5' image processors currently under development by Mobileye, an Israeli-based subsidiary of Intel, for advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving technology.

The IMX324 is scheduled to meet 'AEC-Q100 Grade 2,' a reliability testing standard for automotive electronic components, by June 2018. Sony has adopted a development process based on the automotive functional safety standard 'ISO 26262' to achieve design quality that meets automotive functional safety requirements, thereby responding to the functional safety requirements of ASIL B(D), including fault detection, notification, and control. In addition, the new image sensor features a security function that prevents the output image from being altered, a first for automotive image sensors.