Can take 1000 photos per second - Samsung three-layer stacked image sensor

In the field of CMOS image sensors, Sony can almost be said to be a unique martial art, but Samsung is also trying to catch up. Recently, it has developed a new three-layer stacked image sensor that can shoot up to 1000 photos per second, almost reaching the professional camera. level. In February of this year, Sony announced the world's first three-layer stacked image sensor IMX400, which was subsequently applied to its own flagship Xperia XZ Premium, bringing 960fps of powerful video capture capabilities.

Similar to the Sony solution, Samsung's three-layer stacked image sensor integrates the sensor chip, logic circuit (responsible for calculation), and DRAM buffer (temporary storage data) through the TSV through-silicon via process, and can shoot 1000 per second. The photo means it has super slow motion capture capabilities beyond the IMX400. Most of the existing CMOS image sensors have only two layers, and the addition of additional DRAM buffers is the key to achieving ultra-high speed shooting. Samsung will mass-produce this new image sensor in November, and it is expected to launch its new flagship Galaxy S9 at the beginning of next year. Of course, Samsung's flagship camera often uses half of its own image sensor and the other half uses Sony's. Compared with Sony, Samsung's industrial chain has a much stronger advantage. It can produce its own logic circuit and DRAM (Sony's DRAM is 1Gb from Micron), so it will be superior in cost and capacity.

Sony IMX400 structure diagram