A new image sensor made from graphene is 1,000 times more sensitive to light than existing CMOS or CCD camera sensors and uses 10 times less energy, according to a Nanyange Technological University (NTU) press release.
Scientists from NTU in Singapore have developed the sensor, which is able to detect broad spectrum light from the visible to mid-infrared, with great sensitivity. It will enable photographers to take much clearer images in harsh lighting conditions, and when mass produced, could be up to five times cheaper than camera sensors today, according to NTU.
Assistant Professor Wang Qiji, who led the NTU research team, says one of the most exciting aspects of the graphene sensor is that—due to the fact that the NTU team kept current manufacturing practices in mind— very little needs to be done to introduce it to existing CMOS sensors. The industry can in principle continue to produce camera sensors using the CMOS process, which is the current prevailing technology in the industry, he says.
“Therefore, manufacturers can easily replace the current base material of photo sensors with our new nanostructured graphene material,” he said in the press release.
Wang has filed a patent through NTU’s Nanyang Innovation and Enterprise Office and is currently looking to work with industry collaborators to develop the sensor into a commercial product.
View the NTU press release.
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