Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has upgraded and expanded Dynastron, the company’s line-up of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors for integration in mobile handsets. Two new models, the 3.2 megapixel ET8EE6-AS and 2.0 megapixel ET8EF2-AS, bring significant advances in cell size to cellular phones and other camera-enabled mobile devices.

Both new image sensors achieve advances in miniaturization while maintaining high resolution. With the ET8EE6-AS Toshiba reduces a 3.2 megapixel image sensor to a 1/3.2 optical format, surpassing the company’s previous 1/2.6-inch format size. ET8EF2-AS achieves a 2.0 megapixel count in a 1/4-inch optical format. Underlying these advances are a marked reduction in pixel pitch, from 2.7 to 2.2 microns(µm), combined with retention of a pixel size capable of recording high-resolution images.

The new sensors also offers low power consumption, smearless imaging (Smear: a vertical stripe in an image that can occur when photographs are taken in bright light conditions, such as direct sunshine) and high-speed operation, all essential requirements for personal mobile equipment, including camera phones and personal media centers. ET8EF2-AS also integrates an image signal processor (ISP), providing customers with the essential components for easily configuring a digital camera system.

The growing popularity of camera phones is spurring demand for improved image quality, but without any increase in handset size. With the launch of the 3.2-megapixel ET8EE6-AS and 2-megapixel ET8EF2-AS, Toshiba is positioned to provide mobile phone manufacturers with leading-edge support, and to reinforce its leadership in CMOS imaging.