Camera phone modules

Thursday, November 8th 2007 - 19:00 CET - Comments: 0

O ki Electric Industry announced it has started a contract assembly service for W-CSP (Wafer level Chip Sized Package) semiconductors using through-hole technology. With this technology, OKI’s customers such as sensor and camera module manufacturers can now obtain camera modules that are half the size of conventional modules. In September, OKI established a volume production line for through-whole technology based WCSP assembly at its production site in Tokyo and started operation in October.

 

Smaller camera phone modules
"OKI is currently one of the industry's largest-scale manufacturers of W-CSP technology, packaging LSIs of a size equivalent to the semiconductor chip itself. Based on the through-hole W-CSP technology, manufacturers can make smaller camera modules, responding to trends such as the steadily shrinking size of mobile equipment," said Takaki Yamada, President of Silicon Microdevice Company at Oki Electric Industry. "We plan to increase the production level to 10,000 wafers per month within the fiscal year ending March 2009 and are considering increasing up to 20,000 wafers per month by the fiscal year ending March 2010, taking the expected demand increase into consideration.", added Takaki Yamada.

 

 

Camera phone image sensor
In order to miniaturize a camera module, it is necessary to miniaturize the image sensor in the camera module. OKI's new W-CSP technology includes creating a through-hole in the silicon substrate such as an image sensor, and putting an electrode through the hole. By using this technology on the image sensor, users can eliminate wire bonding for camera modules and thus, reduce the size. OKI also adopts a low-profile cover glass on the image sensor, enabling manufacturers to make a module thinner than conventional ones. Going forward, in addition to semiconductor assembly, OKI will launch a contract manufacturing service for making ultra small camera modules as part of OKI's e-functional module business.

• Camera phones
• Sony-Ericsson K660i
• Sony-Ericsson W890i
• Sony-Ericsson W380i