Tessera developing 3MPix wafer-level optics with EDOF

SAN JOSE, USA: Tessera Technologies Inc. announced that it is developing one of the industry’s first 3 megapixel (MPix) wafer-level optics solutions that integrates extended depth of field (EDOF).

The innovative new technology will combine the company’s award-winning OptiML™ wafer-level optics with its OptiML Focus image enhancement solution, enabling smaller, lower-cost, higher-quality camera modules for cell phone handsets, web-cams and other camera-enabled mobile devices.

"We believe that wafer-level camera technology will revolutionize the camera module market, both in enabling a whole range of new applications as well as accelerating growth and features in existing applications," said Michael Bereziuk, executive vice president, Imaging & Optics, Tessera.

"By complementing our VGA product and technology offering with our 3MPix development and further enhancing this with our OptiML Focus EDOF capability, we are addressing two of the largest volume portions of the Camera module market and are entering a new era of low cost, miniaturized 'Smart Modules'."

Tessera's OptiML wafer-level optics technology incorporates advanced manufacturing techniques which enable the production of thousands of miniature camera lenses on a single wafer using customized, wafer-level, semiconductor manufacturing equipment. These wafers are then stacked to achieve the required performance for the 3MPix camera design.

The lenses use solder reflow compatible materials. This enables a more cost-effective camera module manufacturing process, while allowing defective camera modules to be easily reworked and sent through the soldering process again.

Tessera's OptiML Focus optical image enhancement solution achieves an in-focus image between 20-30cm and infinity with no moving parts, making it more reliable and cost-effective than mechanical approaches.

Sampling of Tessera's integrated 3MPix wafer-level optics technology is expected to start in Q4 2009.