Exmor

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Exmor is Sony’s line of CMOS image sensors. It handles on‑chip analog-to-digital conversion and two‑step noise reduction in parallel for each column, helping improve image quality in cameras used in phones and other devices. Exmor sensors have become common in consumer technology. In 2015, Sony set up Sony Semiconductor Solutions as a dedicated group to design and manufacture Exmor sensors.

In May 2020, Sony unveiled the Intelligent Vision Sensor, the first image sensor with AI processing built in. It includes an AI processor and memory for AI models in a stacked logic layer, enabling real‑time image analysis and instant extraction of metadata from a photo. The release listed model numbers but did not confirm a different name for the sensor.

In June 2022, Xiaomi announced it would use Sony’s IMX989, Sony’s first 1‑inch smartphone camera sensor, in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. It had previously appeared in Sharp’s AquOS R7 with some cropping.

Exmor R is the back‑illuminated version of Sony’s CMOS sensor. It was announced in 2008 and became the world’s first mass‑produced back‑illuminated sensor, roughly twice as sensitive as standard front‑illuminated sensors. Exmor R has been used in several Sony mobile phones and cameras, as well as the iPhone 4s and 5. It later appeared in Sony’s full‑frame ILCE‑7RM2 (released in 2015).

Exmor RS, announced in 2012, was the world’s first stacked CMOS image sensor. Sony later introduced the first 3‑layer stacked sensor with a DRAM layer in the middle. From the Exmor RS line, IMX582 and IMX586 are widely used as 48‑megapixel smartphone cameras (for example in the Samsung Galaxy S20), with the IMX586 offering faster 4K frames. In early 2020, the IMX686 expanded the format to 1/1.72 inch while keeping the same pixel size, using pixel binning to achieve standard resolutions such as 4K.

STARVIS is a series of Exmor RS sensors known for high sensitivity in low light. Industrial versions are used in ambient‑light surveillance systems, while commercial versions appear in prosumer webcams with 4K HDR support using single exposure. The second generation, STARVIS 2, introduced the IMX585 on June 29, 2021, featuring a large 1/1.2 inch sensor ideal for low‑light photography and AI face recognition in surveillance with high dynamic range. It reached a Razer prosumer webcam in January 2023. Larger sensor sizes reduce depth of field, which can be beneficial for teleconferencing webcams, and Sony says some applications approach DSLR quality.

Exmor T was introduced with the Xperia 1 V smartphone on May 10, 2023. In November 2022, Sony announced the LYTIA brand of CMOS image sensors for mobile devices.