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DB HiTek has started to expand its high value-added specialised image sensor business with the foundry process technology specialised for global shutter and SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Diode), which is vital to various industries, including automobile and robotics.

Based on the secured process technology, DB HiTek plans to improve the profitability of this business by expanding into new high growth areas such as industrial machine vision, autonomous car, and Augmented Reality (AR).

Global shutter is a sensor that captures images of fast-moving subjects without distortion, and it is actively applied to machine vision (a technology that enables a computing device to inspect, evaluate and identify still or moving images) that recently focuses attention as an ‘eye of smart factory.’ It also boasts an applied scope, whose use is spreading rapidly to robots, drones and automobiles.

The specialty of DB HiTek’s global shutter is that it has the advanced technology of 99.997% (less than 1/10,000 for noise occurrence) of GSE (Global Shutter Efficiency) by preventing optical signal distortion by applying the light shield and light guide technologies. It can realise the pixel size of 2.8 micrometres—minimum.

Furthermore, SPAD is a supersensitive 3D image sensor that detects weak light signals at the photon (particles of light) level, and it is a core part installed in the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) of autonomous cars based on its advantage of high precision and long-distance measurement availability. Recently, it has been applied rapidly by supporting AR functions on premium smartphones, and its role would be widely expanded to the new generation of application areas, including robots and drones in the future.

LiDAR, also known as ToF (Time of Flight) sensor, is a high precision part that shoots the laser (light) to grasp a distance between objects and forms by measuring the returning time of the laser after hitting the object.

Market researcher Markets and Markets forecasts the LiDAR market to continue its high growth of 22% in annual average, from USD $1.3 billion in 2021 to USD $3.4 billion in 2026.

DB HiTek’s SPAD process has secured the function to detect photon in probabilities of 3.2% from FSI (Front Side Illumination) and 7% from BSI (Back Side Illumination) based on the wavelength of 940nm. In addition, it plans to have the best competitiveness in the industry by raising the photon detection probability to 15% with the process of BDTI (Backside Deep Trench Isolation, minimizes light loss and realizes improvements in optical performance through the formation of insulation part between pixels) in the future.

“We are focusing on the product development with the global leading companies of the industry based on the global shutter and SPAD process, and targeting to have volume production within the year. Our plan is to strengthen support for customers to enter the market at the right time by providing optimum sophisticated process and Process Design Kit (PDK),” said Cheonman Shim, VP of Marketing at DB HiTek.

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