
The Isocell technology puts a reflective light barrier between adjacent cells, which serves to increase light sensitivity while reducing crosstalk between neighbor pixels. This also has the benefit of improving color fidelity in low light conditions. Samsung claims Isocell provides 30 percent decreased cross-talk, 30 percent increased full-well capacity and a 20 percent wider chief ray angle, compared to conventional BSI pixels.
Marty Agan, director of engineering for the Samsung imaging team, described Isocell as, "the next big thing for CMOS image sensors following BSI [back-side illuminated] technology."
Samsung’s first product to deploy the Isocell technology was the S5K4H5YB 8-megapixel device which has 1.12-micron pixels and comes in a 0.25-inch optical format. The S5K4H5YB was scheduled for mass production in 4Q13.
Isocell uses BSI and the ability to take light from a wide angle can be used to reduce the height of a camera module, a feature valued by phone designers.
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