X3 Sensor Characteristics

Abstract

The X3 sensor technology has been introduced as the first semiconductor image sensor technology to measure and report 3 distinct colors per pixel location. This technology provides a key solution to the challenge of capturing full color images using semiconductor sensor technology, usually CCD's, with increasing use of CMOS. X3 sensors capture light by using three detectors embedded in silicon. By selecting the depths of the detectors, three separate color bands can be captured and subsequently read and reported as color values from the sensor. This is accomplished by taking advantage of a natural characteristic of silicon, whereby light is absorbed in silicon at depths depending on the wavelength (color) of the light.