Applicable to medical, scientific, commercial, and military applications

ON Semiconductor announced the expansion of its portfolio by unveiling a new IT-EMCCD (Interline Transfer Electron Multiplying CCD) image sensor applicable to both ultra-low light applications, such as medical and scientific imaging, as well as advanced surveillance applications like commercial and military use.

The newly announced KAE-08152 uses the same 8.8-megapixel resolution and 4/3 optical format as the existing KAE-08151, but features a pixel design that doubles the quantum efficiency for near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths such as 850nm. This is expected to be very useful in fields related to surveillance, microscopy, and ophthalmology. In addition, the KAE-08152 is fully compatible with existing devices, allowing camera manufacturers to easily adopt and use it.

All devices in ON Semiconductor's IT-EMCCD portfolio are available in packages that include an integrated thermoelectric cooler. This option addresses the significant effort and cost issues required by camera manufacturers when designing cooled cameras to maximize camera performance.

Herb Erhardt, Vice President and General Manager of the Industrial Solutions Business Unit at ON Semiconductor’s Image Sensor Group, stated, “IT-EMCCD technology enables image capture at video frame rates even in extremely low-light environments, such as a night sky with only stars and no moon.” “ON Semiconductor’s IT-EMCCD portfolio has been further expanded with a new image sensor that offers enhanced NIR sensitivity and integrated cooling capabilities. This enables us to provide our customers with low-light imaging solution options best suited for each application,” he explained.

The IT-EMCCD device enables a new class of low-noise DR imaging by combining two existing imaging technologies with a unique output structure. The IT CCD provides excellent image quality and uniformity with a high-efficiency electronic shutter, while the EMCCD delivers excellent performance even in low-light environments. Combining these two technologies allows the low-noise EMCCD architecture to be scaled to multiple megapixel resolutions, and the innovative output design enables both standard CCD (normal-gain) and EMCCD (high-gain) outputs to be used for a single image capture, allowing for intrascene dynamic range and scene detection in a single image even in low-light environments such as sunlight as well as starlight.

The KAE-08152 is scheduled for production starting in the second quarter of 2018, and the engineering-grade version is currently available. The KAE 04471 and KAE-08151 devices, integrated with TEC coolers, are scheduled for production in the second quarter of 2018, while the KAE-02150 and KAE-02152 cooled versions are currently on sale. The IT-EMCCD device family ships in ceramic micro-PGA packages and is available in two color configurations: monochrome and Bayer. The KAE-02152 is also available in a sparse CFA color pattern.