真乄科技業的頂尖投資團隊

人們對影像的直觀追求從未停止，這使得近年來圖像傳感器行業熱鬧非凡。從去年安森美收購Aptina；到今年索尼宣布將在2017年3月前逐漸停產CCD傳感器，而將投入到更強的CMOS 傳感器的研發中，並且從4月開始索尼IMX214積層式CMOS圖像傳感器大面積斷貨，整個手機攝像頭供應鏈陷入嚴重緊缺的態勢；再到近期OmniVision被中資機構所收購，種種跡象表明，隨著不同應用行業對於影像視頻需求的上升，圖像傳感器行業正在經歷一次技術上的演進與革新。

市場應用向CMOS傾斜

實際上，CCD和CMOS圖像傳感器的未來市場發展，已經能夠從當前晶圓廠的規劃中看出答案。目前圖像傳感器應用量最大的產品如手機、平板電腦、筆記本等都極少有用到CCD；安防市場原本是CCD的大本營，但從2014年開始CCD在這個市場急劇萎縮。“未來一定是CMOS圖像傳感器佔市場主流地位，CCD則將在一些特殊行業中保持一定比例的存在（如宇航、醫療、軍工、監控行業）。”格科微電子（上海）有限公司市場應用部總監李翔說。

圖1 2014年全球CMOS圖像傳感器市場格局

在供應廠商方面，索尼、三星以及OmniVision把持著高端市場的份額；其他重要廠商還包括：安森美Aptina、日本東芝、韓國Hynix海力士、本土格科微、思比科、比亞迪、台灣奇景光電等。其中，一些公司正在迅速推出高像素CMOS圖像傳感器（如2000萬像素），以適應攝像頭高清化發展的趨勢，對此，李翔表示，高像素CMOS圖像傳感器的設計主要面對兩大挑戰：

1、工藝方面：1.12um及更小像素的“透矽照射”（或“背部照射”） 製造工藝，以及將感光芯片和外圍電路分成上下兩層晶圓的堆棧工藝等；

2、設計方面：如高速高性能RAMP ADC電路設計、高速MIPI通道設計、電路規模增大後帶來的功耗問題，以及堆棧工藝的上下層芯片協同設計等。

據介紹，2015至2016年，將是格科微從中低端產品向高像素產品突破的關鍵時期，公司將快速推出全系列的產品滿足不同客戶需求，標準產品如1/5” 5M、1/ 4”5M、1/3.2” 8M、 1/4” 8M、1/3.2” 13M等都會很快被推出，同時，根據對市場和客戶需求的理解，開發差異化的圖像傳感器產品也是格科微的另一大發展戰略。產能方面，SMIC和TSMC都是和格科微密切配合的晶圓合作夥伴，過去的2013年和2014年，格科微CMOS圖像傳感器的出貨數量已經位居全球市場的前列。

中國CMOS傳感器開發現況

從現階段的市場情況來看，在2M及以下規格的產品市場上，中國CMOS傳感器已經牢牢佔據80%以上的份額；另外，5M的產品線也已經和國際公司開始正面交鋒，目前正在不斷擴大份額；但8M產線還沒有國內公司實現商業量產。

從以上信息來看，貌似國內圖像傳感器產品離國際公司還有較大差距，畢竟主流的8M/13M都沒有量產，但是實際不然。

“8M/13M/20M都需要邁過兩個門檻，即1.12um pixel工藝和高性能的RAMP ADC電路。在這兩個方面，格科微投入數千萬人民幣的巨資，以及通過上百人技術精英團隊近3年夜以繼日的艱苦努力，已經突破了這兩大難關。特別是像素研發方面，格科微在台積電（TSMC）的12吋產線上自主研發出性能與國際一流產品媲美的1.12微米像素， 再加上與台積電（TSMC）的戰略合作，成功研發出為格科微自主像素量身定做的透矽照射（TSI）工藝，各項圖像性能指標均達到國際領先水平。我們將在此基礎上快速推出一系列高像素產品，來填補國內高像素CMOS圖像傳感器的空白。從今年5月開始，大家會看到格科微每個月都有高像素新產品推向市場。”

實際上，除了格科微之外，北京思比科、比亞迪微電子等都是近年來本土CMOS傳感器行業中的佼佼者。從未來發展來看，CMOS圖像傳感器的行業競爭將更多地體現在行業整合、資源整合、市場把控能力的綜合實力上，CMOS圖像傳感器將向著更好的拍照體驗、更快的對焦速度、更智能化的應用體驗方向發展。

CMOS傳感器在手機、車載、安防應用需求各異

在CMOS圖像傳感器用量最大的手機市場上，目前主要還是用於拍攝靜止畫面的照片，且對高分辨率的要求越來越強，基本上800萬以上像素達到甚至超過了同等數碼相機的畫質。另一方面，除了拍攝靜止照片，拍攝視頻並上傳到網絡的視頻剪輯的應用也越來越多，例如現在已可以拍攝Full HD全高清視頻，而未來，實現4K2K超高分辨率以及高速攝影慢動作回放等多種應用功能已是大勢所趨，相應地，這些應用使得CMOS圖像傳感器在達到高分辨率的同時，也要求具備高速響應能力。

在車載攝像方面，據稱，到2016年，該市場的規模可望達到8000萬片/年以上。這一領域當前需求最大的主要是VGA分辨率的產品，目前應用系統的主流是模擬接口，同時也有部分公司在開發中帶有數字接口的系統產品，如HD高清（720p，130萬像素） ，Full–HD全高清（1080p，200萬像素）等，且所有產品都需要具有高靈敏度和寬動態範圍性能。

而在監控領域，相比過去索尼CCD傳感器一統天下的格局，CMOS傳感器的發展與推廣能否真正扛起安防監控行業的大旗？對此，行業人士表示謹慎樂觀的態度。

業內資深人士表示，怎樣才能做好CMOS芯片相關的監控攝像頭產品，不是幾句話可以講清楚的，CMOS芯片成本低，賣價就低，利潤薄，加上CMOS芯片生產簡單，沒有多大技術含量，這會導致入行“門檻”降低。

另外，CMOS芯片最致命、最難攻克的難關是必須匹配IR-CUT雙濾光片切換器，且多年來一直無法取消這個累贅，這也有待於CMOS傳感器性能的進一步提升。

Reaching $10B for the first time, the CMOS Image Sensor Industry (CIS) is undergoing massive technology and market shifts, while growing at a 10% CAGR. With major investment needed in manufacturing and design in order to stay ahead, the industry landscape is about to change dramatically.

THE CMOS IMAGE SENSOR MARKET WILL REACH US$16B BY 2020!

Driven by mobile and automotive applications, the CIS industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2014 - 2020, reaching a market value of US$16.2B by 2020.

Even if smartphone applications still take the lion’s share of the market, many different applications are part of CIS’ growth story. Automotive, medical, and surveillance are areas where great opportunities have surfaced and are driving the market and technology efforts of existing and new players. Our 2015 report covers all of these opportunities.

On the other hand, some CIS segments have suffered sharp decline. With feature phone cameras and digital still-cameras being replaced by more widely-used smartphone cameras, players in these applications are suffering, which is leading to industry consolidation. We have seen a high level of M&A activity in 2014, which should continue in 2015.

Exciting new emerging market trends are relevant to the CIS industry. In mobile, the addition of the secondary front-facing camera is already old news, as all high-end handsets and smartphones now have two cameras. In fact, Chinese manufacturers are actually pushing for higher resolution secondary cameras. This significantly impacts the average selling price (ASP) of micro camera modules, and is causing low-end players to abandon their focus on submega pixel production and move toward 5Mp+ territories. Naturally, this has had a major impact on the capital expenditures and technology portfolio roadmaps of these CIS mobile players. This trend is even more crucial for main rear cameras, where compactness and performance are pushed to the extreme. Mobile has become a high-performance/high-volume domain in which one player has excelled so far: Sony Corp.

Automotive is the big story this year, as car manufacturers like Tesla, Nissan and Ford are showing off their first camera-enabled features. Market traction is particularly impressive, with most CIS players enjoying growth rates of 30% - 50%. But this is only the beginning, with most CIS players looking at this market, total revenue should reach US$800M in 2020 – for CIS sensors only. Automotive’s emerging importance promises profound implications for the CIS ecosystem. As CIS moves from a “for display” application towards a “for sensing” application, new players such as processor and software providers will become key partners for sensor design and marketing. 

THE INDUSTRY IS RAPIDLY RESTRUCTURING  DUE TO MARKET AND TECHNOLOGY DRIVERS

Strong moves in the CIS markets have greatly modified the competitive landscape. Sony is now a market, production and technology leader. Omnivision and Samsung have remained strong, and new players like Galaxycore, Pixelplus and Siliconfile are swiftly emerging as full-fl edged players. Meanwhile, the Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) model has been a great strength for Canon and Nikon, which have weathered the slow-down in digital still-cameras. As for Panasonic, it created a joint venture with Tower Jazz to aid its search for volume in the higher-end segments. Hynix gained IDM status by purchasing Siliconfi le’s remaining shares. These quick, up and down industry movements demonstrate that there is still some room for new entrants like Cmosis and PixelPlus.

Some players are currently pushed in the fablite/fabless model. On Semiconductor purchased Aptina, which sold its foundry to L-Foundry. STMicroelectronics is subcontracting part of its production to UMC. High-end players such as Dalsa, e2v, Cmosis and Forza are now subcontracting production to TowerJazz. For high-end producers, this situation is diffi cult since they have trouble driving innovation and differentiating from one another. They are confronted by one key aspect of the CIS business: One Pixel/One Process/One Market.

The fabless model is dominant in the industry’s lower end. Firms like Omnivision, Galaxycore and Pixelplus are the main players, and have key partnerships with dedicated foundries like Tsmc, Smic and Dongbu. The strain concerning capital expenditure relies on the foundry. As the technology rapidly evolves, it’s easy to see how much effort these foundries are willing to put in to develop image sensor technology. In fact, Smic is partnering with Toppan to improve its process capabilities, and Dongbu is currently for sale. This report provides an in-depth look at the CIS industry’s restructuring, with its technology and market drivers. 

TECHNOLOGY:  A KEY DRIVER FOR CMOS IMAGE SENSOR INDUSTRY

Since 2010, Yole Développement has well documented the rise of back side illumination (BSI), which has now become a mainstream technology that’s captured more than 50% of CIS production. BSI was the necessary technological step for reaching a pixel size of 1.4μm - 1.1μm. This converted 8Mp+ cameras into smartphones and 24Mp+ into DSLRs.

Size constraints in mobile have pushed 3D stacking BSI, which currently has 20% of the market. This approach is particularly interesting, as it separates the pixel array’s technology node from the digital part’s technology node at a time when sensors are integrating more and more features, for example Autofocus (AF) and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). 

BSI, 3D Stacked BSI and 3D Hybrid are all key technologies covered in our 2015 report.

The roadmap for future CIS technology adoption is fueled by three constraints/drivers:

• Size (X, Y and Z of the camera module)
• Image quality (resolution, low light performance, focus and stabilization)
• Functionality (slow-motion video, image analysis, motion control)

With green lights for all of these drivers, a gamechanging technology called dual cameras could grab signifi cant market share in a short time and drive CIS industry volume and revenue.

OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT

To provide market data on key CIS metrics and dynamics:

• CIS revenue forecast, volume shipments and wafer production by application
• Market share with detailed breakdown by player
• Application focus on key CIS growth areas: mobile, DSLR, automotive, medical, security, machine vision, etc.

To provide key technical insight and analysis about future technology trends and challenges:

• Manufacturing technologies: design and front-end innovations
• Device technologies: CIS application across market
• Technology focus on game-changing areas such as BSI and 3D stacked BSI