Eastman Kodak Co. - Image Sensor Solutions

Imaging applications are often limited by low light levels or by lengthy exposure times that inhibit throughput and efficiency. The KAF-3200ME full-frame sensor employs microlens technology that directs the light onto the most sensitive portion of the pixel to capture more photons. This increased sensitivity, along with longer exposure times, enhances overall imaging performance.

Eastman Kodak Co.'s Image Sensor Solutions of Rochester, N.Y., developed the sensor as an alternative to expensive back-illuminated imagers. It has a peak quantum efficiency of 85 percent, whereas front-illuminated sensors typically provide <50 percent. The company says the device incorporates the advantages of disparate sensor architectures, achieving high sensitivity and affordability while maintaining the noise and charge transfer performance required for demanding imaging applications.

The sensor enables photographers to capture images in a wider variety of lighting conditions, scientists to reduce light levels in biological research and astronomers to see faint objects in light-starved observations.