Samsung unveils image sensor technology

South Korean tech giant Samsung has unveiled a new 14nm FinFET fabrication technology at the International Electron Devices Meeting 2019 (IEDM) conference which will be used to develop 144MP smartphone cameras.

FinFET ICs use "fins" to control the voltage of a chip helping it to increase performance with lower energy consumption. 

The 14nm FinFET technology will allow for a 42 per cent reduction in power consumption in a 144MP sensor while capturing images at 10fps. For a 12MP readout at 30-120fps (i.e. recording video), the power savings can be up to 37 per cent, news portal GSMArena reported on Monday. 

Additionally, using 14nm FinFET fabrication will help the company to create a 3D Stack CMOS Image Sensor.

Famed leakster Ice Universe had claimed that the Samsung's next-gen Galaxy S11 smartphone may have a 108 MP sensor with 9-to-1 Bayer technology and not 4-in-1 seen in the current-generation 108MP sensor.

This means, even though this sensor would be able to shoot 108MP photos, by default, it would shoot 12MP photos.

With this, the Galaxy S11's 108MP camera would be ahead in clarity and details, especially in low light situations as compared to other Samsung smartphones' cameras.