New Image Sensor Provides Enhanced NIR Sensitivity

By Mike Ball / 14 Aug 2018
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ON Semiconductor KAE-08152 EMCCD image sensorFRAMOS has announced that it is distributing ON Semiconductor’s latest EMCCD image sensor, the KAE-08152, which captures critical imaging details with 8 MP resolution and enhanced NIR sensitivity in lighting conditions from sunlight to starlight.

ON Semiconductor has launched the newest model of its successful Interline Transfer EMCCD KAE sensor line, for high-quality imaging in extreme low-light conditions. The KAE-08152 is a 4/3” imager with 8.1 Megapixel resolution that provides increased Quantum Efficiency, specifically for NIR wavelengths. The low-light imaging performance of this sensor makes it ideal for unmanned systems surveillance and monitoring applications.

Sub-lux imaging is enabled by interline Transfer EMCCD technology. Each of the sensor’s four outputs incorporates both a conventional horizontal CCD register and a high-gain EMCCD register, resulting in exceptional low-light imaging performance. The KAE-08152’s quantum efficiency (QE) is doubled at approximately 850 nm compared to the standard KAE-08151 to provide enhanced NIR sensitivity without any decrease in the device’s Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). An intra-scene switchable gain feature samples each charge packet on a pixel-by-pixel basis, enabling the camera system to route charge through the normal gain output or the EMCCD output depending on a user selectable threshold.

Sibel Yorulmaz-Cokugur, Sensor Expert at FRAMOS, said: “ON Semi’s new KAE-08152 sensor enables imaging in extreme low light, even when bright objects are within a dark scene, allowing a single camera to capture quality images in widely varying conditions, from sunlight to starlight. Another image quality factor is the very low sub-electron noise for EMCCD. All features lead to excellent image uniformity, required in applications where high-sensitive image recognition makes the difference.”

Posted by Mike Ball Mike Ball is our resident technical editor here at Unmanned Systems Technology. Combining his passion for teaching, advanced engineering and all things unmanned, Mike keeps a watchful eye over everything related to the unmanned technical sector. With over 10 years’ experience in the unmanned field and a degree in engineering, Mike’s been heading up our technical team here for the last 8 years. Connect & Contact