Image Sensors Offer Advanced Digital Imaging Capabilities for a Growing Variety of Applications

Business Wire, July 15, 2008

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The market for image sensors demonstrates explosive growth both technologically and economically. Image sensors are an emergent solution for practically every automation-focused machine vision application. While manufacturers capitalize on increasing sales volumes, they also face the possibility of market saturation and manufacturing technology limitations. New electronic fabrication processes, software implementations, and new application fields will dictate the growth of image sensor technology in the future.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.technicalinsights.frost.com), Advances in Image Sensors, finds that image sensor technologies will contribute to imaging requirements in applications such as digital cameras, mobile phones, medical imaging equipment, automotive navigation and driver assist as well as industrial machine vision applications. Developments in manufacturing, hardware, and software will drive the improvements in image sensor performance, which will lead to new application opportunities.

"The growing popularity and demand for electronic devices incorporating digital camera technology is driving innovations in image sensor technology," notes a Frost & Sullivan analyst. "The application scope of image sensors is expanding beyond conventional uses as improved flexibility and performance has resulted in digital imaging technology replacing older film-based technology in the majority of applications."

Innovations in image sensors currently focus on improving the sensitivity, while decreasing the exposure times using pixels that seem to be growing smaller and smaller. The end result will be image sensors that produce images using a very small amount of light. On the other end of the spectrum, manufacturers are developing larger sensors for applications that require coverage of a greater optical range.

However, to ensure the dominance of image sensors, issues regarding manufacturing limitations must be addressed. Image sensor manufacturers will need to find new ways to differentiate themselves from competitors, through hardware and software improvements.

"Aside from the consumer market, image sensor technology will need to address future high performance imaging requirements in applications such as medical, industrial, and aerospace," states a Frost & Sullivan analyst. "Overall, the incorporation of image sensors is, and will continue to be, based purely on performance and cost improvements over conventional technologies."

Manufacturers will need to continuously improve performance, flexibility, and system integration capabilities while also bringing down costs. An increase in the application scope of image sensors will encourage the development of new technologies to improve their performance characteristics and give manufacturers more opportunities to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Advances in Image Sensors, a part of the Technical Insights subscription, provides a technology overview and outlook for image sensors. The study provides a detailed snapshot of developments within the image sensor industry, typically focusing on CMOS and CCD technology. Furthermore, this research service includes detailed technology analysis and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

If you are interested in an analysis, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview, summary, challenges, and latest coverage of advances in image sensors, send an e-mail to David Escalante, Corporate Communications, at david.escalante@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

Technical Insights is an international technology analysis business that produces a variety of technical news alerts, newsletters, and research services.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership[TM] empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

Advances in Image Sensors

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