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Agenda

Registration and welcome refreshments
Session 1: Business and manufacturing updates
The CMOS imaging industry is embarking on a new horizon
The CMOS imaging industry experienced a revenue plateau at $21.3B in 2022 due to a slowdown in consumer products sales, notably smartphones. However, automotive cameras demand is on the rise, helping the market to resume growth from 2023. In this context, the slowing mobile and consumer market is reshuffling the ecosystem. Companies are seeking to enhance image sensors performance and target higher value products in the automotive and industrial markets. After decades of a race for decreasing the pixel size, efforts seem to have translated to improve image quality, data monitoring and compactness with emerging technologies such as triple-stack sensors, metaoptics and event-based imaging.
Florian Domengie | Senior Technology and Market Analyst, Photonics & Sensing Division, Yole Intelligence
Keynote: CIS stack chip developments for HDR and machine vision
- OV CIS products & technology portfolio in brief
- CIS wafer stacking: 3-wfr, 2-layer pixel, pixel level connections, pixel circuit, pixel shrink
- HDR: LOFIC type pixel with in-pixel cap
- Global shutter, NIR
- A glimpse into the future 22
Lindsay Grant | Senior Vice President of Process Engineering, OmniVision Technology
End user perspective: Datalogic’s image sensor world: applications, challenges and technical needs
Networking break
How to choose the most optimal image sensor technologies for our key markets?
In this presentation we will discuss our main criteria for the foundry and process selection when we develop new image sensors for our key markets, i.e. industrial and scientific imaging, prosumer/professional photo and video applications. These markets require typically different trade-offs and different technology features (e.g. rolling/global shutter pixels, interface standards, etc), also deviating from the large consumer CIS market. We will discuss our selection criteria based on some specific use cases.
Jan Bogaerts | CTO, Gpixel
Unleashing the potential of imaging: foundry update and innovative technologies for customised solutions
Overview of design features and technologies available to foundry customers with CMOS image sensors in a wide range of markets, including professional photography and cinematography, medical, automotive, 3D sensing, space and defence applications, scientific, machine vision for industrial applications, security, and robotics
- Global Shutter (GS) pixel technology, with small size, state-of-the-art performance both in visible and NIR, requiring only the top-tiers silicon layer. We present a full family of sensors, with very compact die sizes, embedding the smallest GS pixel at 2.16um or a more sensitive one at 2.6um pitch.
- Disruptive features and streaming modes: full optical flow accelerator, auto wake-up with ultra-low power, innovative differential streaming
- Enabling emerging applications, such as AR/VR, phone face authentication & vital sign monitoring, robotic, smart home and drones

Nicolas Roux | Camera Sensor Product Line Manager, STMicroelectronics
Emilie Huss | Senior Technical Manager - Pixel Expert, STMicroelectronics
Emerging Southeast Asia and its impact on the image sensor market
The geopolitical tensions between China and the G7 countries call for a realignment of the supply chains, especially in consumer electronics, car parts, consumables, medical equipment, drugs, and other high-volume goods. Countries like India, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. benefit from this trend as well as from a growing skilled workforce, and other economic advancements. The increase of per-capita GDP fuels domestic consumption of mobile phones, cars, and other products carrying image sensors. Governments invest vision-enhanced defense and public security. Furthermore, these countries try to capture investments into manufacturing facilities from Western corporations as well as from Chinese manufacturers, driving their manufacturing GDPs and thus their need for Machine Vision in high 2-digit growth rates year after year. This talk will give insights into these emerging markets and the impact of their economic advancements on the imaging and vision industry.
Ron Mueller | Associate Consultant of Smithers, CEO of Vision Markets
Networking lunch
Session 2: Revolutionising 3D Sensing
Product and technology development for a DVGA iToF image sensor in 65/ 65nm stacked BSI technology
We will present the development of a cutting edge iToF image sensor that can capture DVGA resolution. The sensor is fabricated in a customized 65/65nm stacked BSI process which enables the realization of the implemented 3.5µm CDS pixel. We will present the achievement of a high quantum efficiency (>40%) and high demodulation efficiency (>80%@200MHz). The pixel design supports new modes of operation that can reduce power consumption, improve resistance to background light, and minimize the impact of fabrication variability. Further design and process adjustments allowed the development of an even smaller and performant pixel with 2.5µm pixel pitch.
Jens Prima | Head Process and Technology Department, pmdtechnologies AG
Carl Philipp Koppen | Senior Analog Design Engineer, pmdtechnologies AG
The Computational Image Sensor and mosaic shutter technology unveil new automation opportunities based on 3D imaging
The Computational Image Sensor (COMPIS) developed by Photoneo is a unique CMOS image sensor that implements a patented Mosaic Shutter technology. The sensor's proprietary multi-tap pixel design allows for the execution of customizable shutter sequences in multiple pixel groups organized in a mosaic. In the context of 3D sensing using the principle of structured light, the Mosaic Shutter technology enables the parallel acquisition of multiple structured light patterns in a single sensor frame, hence the name Parallel Structured Light. This approach freezes the 3D scene in time, enabling high-resolution and accurate 3D area scanning of objects moving up to 144 km/h, without motion artifacts.
Svorad Štolc | CTO, Photoneo
Novel low power, low latency 3D perception using single photon active event sensors
XR devices immerse the user in an augmented world, with digital elements which must be seamlessly blended with the physical world. To achieve this functionality, a perception technology is required. This technology must offer robust operation independently of the environment, must operate within a very tight power budget, and must have very low latency. Existing technologies have been unable to meet all of these demands.
VoxelSensors’ sensing and perception technology disrupts the sensorial status quo with the development of unique active event sensors (AES) enabling robust low power and low latency 3D active sensing using laser beam triangulation. This paper will discuss the merits of the proposed sensing paradigm in the context of XR platforms and introduce Switching Pixels® Active Event Sensors.
Christian Mourad | Chief Product Officer, VoxelSensors
Networking break
Session 3: Metasurface Optics
Invisible image sensor coverglass: glass with Metasurface
Nanostructured surfaces provide exceptional anti-reflective behaviour when applied on glass surfaces. Randomised nanostructure with tapered tips, much smaller than wavelength of light, create a gradient of refractive index. This gradient works similarly regardless of the incoming angle of the wavefront. This results in minimizing the reflection to lower than 0.5% for a broad range of wavelength and a wide field of view. Application of the technology on image sensor coverglass significantly reduces the flare and veiling glare in capturing images with high dynamic range. Edgehog has created a manufacturing process that leverages semiconductor equipment. This process is highly scalable, cost-effective, and optimised for large-volume applications.
Nasim Sahraei | Chief Product Officer, Edgehog Advanced Technologies Inc.
Bringing the power of polarization information to mobile form factors with metasurface optics
Metasurface optics “meta-optics” can see what no other smartphone optics can see- the polarization signature of light. When light reflects off a scene, the shape and composition of each object creates a unique polarization response. Traditional 3D image sensors are unable to capture this information. Our unique metasurface optics (“meta-optics”) can sort differently polarized photons without any filtering loss to reveal much richer information about the scene, characterising depth, material properties, facial contour details, and human tissue liveness – bringing new information to machine vision systems for the first time. This presentation will discuss how meta-optics can capture all information in light, and how this new technology is currently being applied to ultra-secure, compact smartphone facial biometrics.
Pawel Latawiec | CTO, Metalenz
Chair’s closing remarks and end of day one
Networking drinks reception
The Palm House Victoria Bar & Restaurant - 6:15pm -8:15pm
The Palm House Victoria Bar & Restaurant
150 Victoria Street London
SW1E 5LB
Registration and morning refreshments
Session 4: Tackling ongoing challenges in image sensing
Throwing a bomb in CIS world: reliability issues with an automotive sensor
Extensive reliability tests are performed on a commercially available sensor intended for the automotive market.  And the obtained results are remarkable: some are extremely good, some are too bad for the target market.
In the presentation various test results will be shown and for the non-performing parameters a detailed investigation will be discussed.  The suspected root cause will be disclosed during the talk.
Albert Theuwissen | Founder, Harvest Imaging
Overcoming disbelief – detection of unlikely objects in images
Can we give a simple measure of object image quality such as Signal to Noise Ratio of the Ideal Observer (SNRI) or Contrast to Noise ratio that will guarantee that a detector performs well? In medical imaging it is accepted that a value of SNRI between 5 and 6 will be sufficient to guarantee a detector accuracy >99%. Previous papers have accepted this figure for automotive images but this ignores at least two important differences between the derivation of these measures and the automotive case. We explore the effect of one of these differences, the low prior probability of the object we wish to detect, showing that this means we will need a much higher SNRI or CNR from our camera.
Anthony Huggett | Senior Member of Technical Staff, onsemi
Next generation of high-speed interfaces for vision applications
This presentation explains the technical concepts to use GigE Vision and CoaXPress for data rates towards 100Gbit/s:
- GigE Vision currently uses the UDP protocol both for control and streaming data. Streaming with data rates around and above 10Gbit/s causes high processing load on the receiving host computer. In order to reduce that load and use the hardware offloading features of standard networking cards, it is planned to use the Remote DMA protocol RoCEv2 for the next release of the GigE Vision standard.
- CoaXPress, with the release of the CoaXPress-over-Fiber addendum to the specification, now allows for the move from copper-based coaxial cables to fiber optics, making CoaXPress ready for the fastest cameras.
- Together with state-of-the-art FPGAs featuring high-speed transceivers above 25Gbps, it will be possible to address much higher data rates and cope with demanding new image sensors.
Matthias Schaffland | IP Core and Custom Design Product Specialist, Sensor to Image GmbH
Networking break
Session 5: High performance imaging solutions
Co-Chairs
Robert Henderson | Professor of Electronic Imaging, University of Edinburgh
Markus Cappellaro | Product Manager and Principal, Carl Zeiss Microscopy Technology Center Munich
From cinematography to immersive displays: high resolution, high frame rate CMOS image sensors; challenges, solutions and future trends
- Large format CMOS image sensors: key specifications; applications and markets; current limitations
- Sensor design challenges and solutions: chip design, simulation and verification challenges; System level integration issues; survey of technology offerings
- Case study: high resolution, hight frame rate CMOS image sensors for immersive displays
- Future directions
Abhinav Agarwal | Member of Technical Staff, Forza Silicon (Ametek Inc.)
SPAD image sensors for security and surveillance applications
We present our recent progress in high-definition SPAD image sensor development for security and surveillance applications. We highlight key challenges and solutions in commercializing multi-megapixel SPAD image sensors, covering from pixel design innovation to system-level considerations.
Dr. Kazuhiro Morimoto | Senior Engineer, Top Scientist, PhD, Device Technology Development Headquarters, Canon Inc.
High-resolution, high-speed CMOS wafer-scale image sensors
Wafer-scale CMOS image sensors (CIS) have been around for some time now. Their performance are still relatively limited with respect to the power of CMOS technologies, with the development hampered mainly by the requirement of achieving good yield. In IMASENIC we work to address this limitation so that the full power of CMOS technologies can be unleashed. Our focus so far has been in achieving high speed in wafer-scale sensors, while preserving high-resolution. With this goal, we developed a 4Mpixel wafer-scale sensor, which achieves a frame rate in excess of 5,000 frames per second. Its pixel rate of over 20Gpixel/s is comparable to that of the fastest high-speed sensors, which are however of much smaller size than a full 200mm CMOS wafer. In our talk we will also review the current landscape of wafer-scale sensors, before presenting our high-speed wafer-scale CIS. The technology developed with this sensor, can also be used for 3-side buttable sensors, thus opening the way to covering focal planes larger than a single silicon wafers, as it is needed in applications like medical and scientific imaging
Renato Turchetta | CEO, IMASENIC Advanced Imaging S.L.
Networking break
Session 6: Beyond the visible
Co-Chairs
Vladimir Koifman | Chief Technology Officer, Analog Value
Renato Turchetta | CEO, IMASENIC Advanced Imaging S.L.
A 1.8mm x 1.8mm ultra-low-power global shutter image sensor for eye tracking applications
In this talk we will introduce the newest 400 x 400 pixels global shutter image sensor for consumer applications. With its ultra-low power consumption of a mere 7mW at 30 fps and the package size of only 1.8mm x 1.8mm, the sensor is ideal for a multitude of applications including eye tracking, mobile stereo vision, etc. Despite its compact package, the sensor preserves the features required by consumer applications (Mipi IO, event detection, background removal, etc.) and sports an optical size of only 1.12mm x 1.12mm, allowing high sensitivity in both visible and NIR spectrum. The presentation will focus on the challenges encountered to achieve the small size and low power consumption.
Adi Xhakoni | Principal Engineer, ams-osram
SWIR fast imaging, low light level, laser multi-spot detection and event-based vision
SWIR market is increasing due to its use at night vision, eye safety and see-through fog. SWIR is useful in automotive, food, medicine, agriculture and others. High-frame rate imaging in SWIR is a highly desirable feature, but in fast scenarios integration is a bottleneck. To overcome this, the pixel combines analog processing aimed at sensing fast events. Event-based vision is achieved by in-pixel processing of variations in the pixel target. Moreover, lasers in SWIR are an interesting fast event case. This talk will present SCD SWIR products, including SWIFT-EI, the latest one developed at SCD. SWIFT-EI combines fast imaging up to kHz range, event-based imaging and laser detection.
Dr Claudio Jakobson | Senior Principal Engineer, SCD
X-ray image sensors based on quantum dots
X-ray detection is a conservative field, seeking innovations for the last 15 years aiming to reduce damaging radiation exposure for patients and enhance image quality for early diagnostics. At QDI systems, we employ an innovative approach to meet those ambitions by developing X-ray sensors based on quantum dots (QDs). Our presentation showcases the progress we have made in advancing this groundbreaking technology, including the successful integration of QD technology onto CMOS chips, resulting in compelling images. The results suggest that the performance of QDs is superior in terms of MTF and NED compared to high-end medical X-ray detectors.
Dr Artem Shulga | Founder and CEO, QDI systems
Capturing excellence: the high-resolution large sensors in imaging technology
Large image sensors with high pixel resolution are requested by several different applications such as large format digital photography, cinematography, aerial and space imaging and more. To comply with target performances, while managing particular manufacturing techniques like photolithographic stitching, the chip architecture, the design and the image processing pipe face extremely high challenges. In this talk, we propose to firstly review these challenges and considered tradeoffs, then to illustrate the possible artefacts and solutions, and to finally finish with a summary of the roadmap trends and existing devices on the market, including PYXALIS’ GIGAPYX large sensor size family.
Julien Michelot | R&D Manager, Pyxalis
Panel discussion: Image Sensor Europe Advisory Board members look ahead
- What will the key technologies, applications, opportunities and challenges be over the next 12 months?
- What might be ripe for discussion at E 2025?
Chair's closing remarks and end of conference
Recent Developments in the CIS World Over the last 12 months
Online Masterclass (3 hours)

15:00 to 18:00 GMT

Join Albert Theuwissen as he takes a look back of the developments over the last 12 months that took place in the CMOS image sensor world. The masterclass also will offer critical comments on published papers, conference presentations and data-sheets. In many cases the information made available to the general public contains a lot of rubbish and data that looks way too positive. Albert will analyse the figures and numbers announced and will compare them to data available from other companies. A real, unbiased benchmark of performance data will be given in the workshop. In 2023 the International Image Sensor Workshop took place in Schotland ; IEDM23, EI2024 and ISSCC24 are organized in San Francisco. For sure enough new material to fill the workshop program. 

The following topics will be addressed (still subject to change) :

- Global shutter CIS : from charge domain to voltage domain to ...

- Big, bigger, biggest : a view on large(st)-area devices

- Small, smaller, smallest : details about extremely small pixel technologies

- Colour Splitter and colour routers : are they going to replace colour filters ?

- New AR coatings to limit flare and ghost images

- PDAF pixels that work in both, vertical and horizontal directions

- Quantum dots in combination with photogates to lower dark current and noise

- Do you have some money left to spend on extremely expensive sensors and cameras ?

- Something completely different : great piece of integration intended for the medical world

- Lay-out of the year Award

- Conclusions

Ticket Price: £449 + VAT 


Albert Theuwissen | Founder, Harvest Imaging
IS-Europe-2024-Agenda-29-Jan-2024