Ahead of Image Sensors Europe 2024 we spoke to Jan Bogaerts about his forthcoming presentation, how to choose the most optimal image sensor technologies for key markets.
Jan Bogaerts co-founded Gpixel NV in August 2018 and is Gpixel’s global Chief Technology Officer. In his various roles as senior designer, chief scientist and principal engineer at FillFactory (later Cypress), Imec, CMOSIS (co-founder, later AMS), Jan has been continually pushing the development of images sensors for space, scientific, medical, industrial, aerial and photo/video imaging applications. Since receiving MSc and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from the KU Leuven, Jan has been published over 40 times and has contributed to many major conferences and workshops. He is also author of several granted patents on the development, design and operation of CMOS image sensors including the world’s first radiation-tolerant APS, global pipelined shutter pixels and ramp ADC architectures, etc.
You are speaking about how Gpixel selects the most suitable IC technology for a given product at this year’s conference. Can you give us a snapshot of what delegates will hear?
I 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, etc. These markets require typically different trade-offs and different technology features (e.g. rolling/global shutter pixels, interface standards,…), also deviating from the large consumer CIS market. We will discuss our selection criteria based on some specific use cases.
What do you see as the major challenges for, and breakthroughs in, image sensor technology advancements in the short to medium term?
Major challenges are access to, and cost of, technology. As CIS technology advances the cost level becomes higher and higher making it harder and harder for low to medium volume application cases to get access to these newer technologies. This also makes it harder for start up or smaller companies to enter the market or complete strongly.
Most important advancement is the full commercial availability of wafer stacking technology. It comes at a price tag but literally opens up a new dimension of architecture options.
What are you most looking forward to hearing about and discussing with your fellow speakers and delegates at this year’s Conference?
Most interesting is to listen and learn from colleagues within the industry what progress has been made and share experiences. Some are competitors but even then the image sensor community is famous for the openness between fellow engineers.
