Dongbu HiTek ramps production of CMOS image sensor (CIS) devices for automobile 'black box' apps

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Dongbu HiTek has commenced mass-production of 300-kpixel CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) devices at the 130nm node for ClairPixel Co. Ltd, a fabless semiconductor company based in Korea.

Established in 2007, ClairPixel deploys an innovative Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology to significantly enhance image quality across a wide range of lighting conditions, thus making its compact CIS chip solutions ideal for automobile “black box” applications.

“Since black boxes were first installed in automobiles in 2006, their use has grown rapidly along with their capabilities to continuously record data and surrounding events, particularly those that might lead up to an accident,” said Byung-Joo Park, VP of Marketing for Dongbu HiTek.

“Thanks to CIS advances such as those embodied in ClairPixel’s WDR technology, we are tapping into new CIS market growth opportunities in automotive electronics, medical systems and security surveillance where specialized CIS solutions can add high value and therefore generate high profit margins.”

According to market research data from iSuppli, the dominant market for CIS devices will continue to be mobile phones and digital cameras though 2013; however, the demand for CIS devices in specialized automotive, medical device and security segments over this same period will continue to grow rapidly.

Significantly, the average selling price (ASP) of CIS devices serving specialized applications is currently four times greater than those serving mobile phones and digital cameras.