New Tech May Double Mobile Phone Picture Quality

Pakar Bisnis Online New Tech May Double Mobile Phone Picture Quality ; Mobile phone cameras have improved vastly over the years. However, many people believe that the snappers are hitting their peak. We’re seeing cameras in the 12 megapixel range these days on certain mobile phones. Can it really get any better than that? One startup company says that it can but it’s going to be a matter of significantly changing the technology that is used.

Semiconductors and Quantum Dots


A company called InVisage is exploring superconductor technology that could change the mobile phone camera industry for good. They believe that we need to stop using silicon for our mobile phone camera sensors and start to use semiconductor particles called quantum dots instead. Let’s break this down a little bit more so that we can understand it better:

* Today’s mobile phone cameras rely on silicon sensors to assist with the development of the image. The sensor takes in the incoming light and converts it into electrical charges and then this becomes a visible image which results in the photo on your mobile phone.

* Silicon sensors have improved a lot over the years. However, they may have reached their peak. Even the best silicon sensors today require electrical components that actually block out some of the light that the camera is trying to take in. In fact, approximately 3/4 of the light that comes into the lens of your mobile phone camera is actually lost and only 1/4 is used by the sensor. This limits image quality.
* Silicon has been the only option for sensors on these devices to date. However, that is changing.

* One new option that is being explored is something that is called quantum dots. These are very small semiconductor particles that help to absorb light into the sensor. They don’t have the same electrical components that block out light with silicon sensors and therefore can allow more light to come into the camera. More light means the potential for much higher-quality photos on your mobile phone camera.

Invisage the Film They Are Producing

The company that has come up with this new idea is a company called InVisage Technologies. The company is based in Menlo Park, California. The product that they are developing is something that they are calling QuantumFilm. The way that the product would work would be through the development of a film consisting of the quantum dots. Basically, the can take these small semiconductor particles and layer them into a very, very thin layer. This layer can be used in place of existing silicon sensors. In contrast to the 25% of light that silicon sensors take in, this new product should be able to take in 90-95%.

What this Means for Mobile Phones

There are two important things that this new technology could mean for mobile phone cameras. Number one, of course, is that your mobile phone camera will be able to take much higher-quality pictures than it has in the past. The advanced technology would improve image quality on all phones and should allow even basic mobile phone cameras to take pictures that challenge the quality of the photos by the best camera phones available on the market today. The company reports that this new technology should offer four times the performance of existing mobile phone cameras.

The second important thing to note is that this technology can also affect the size of your mobile phone. The technology is capable of letting in a lot more light through the sensor using a much smaller design. This means that you will be able to get high-quality images on even small phones. Of course, the size of your phone has to do with many different features but the fact that your camera won’t need as much space with this technology means that we may see many more lightweight phones with good cameras.

When Will This Technology Be Put Into Action?


The technology that is being explored by InVisage is well on its way to development. In fact, existing manufacturing methods for semiconductors should be easily adapted to make this technology a reality. The company reports that new mobile phone handsets that incorporate this new quantum dot technology could hit the market as early as next year. The company is targeting high-end smartphones with this technology first. And there’s some extra good news there as well. Since the existing semiconductor technology should be able to do the job, it is believed that this new technology won’t add a lot of costs for either the manufacturer or the consumer. In other words, the future could bring us better, smaller mobile phone cameras at a price comparable to what we’re paying now.