Toshiba Corp. has just revealed a fresh and really funky CMOS image sensor for digital cameras and mobile phones that 'packs' 14.6 million pixels and features back-side illumination technology (BSI). The use of BSI means that the lenses are deployed on the rear of the sensor on the silicon substrate, not on the front, where wiring limits light absorption. According to Toshiba this positioning boosts light sensitivity and absorption by 40% compared to existing products, and allows the formation of finer image pixels.

The new BSI-enhanced sensor will start being sampled in December but will only enter mass production in Q3 2010. It will be made on 65nm technology at Toshiba's Oita Operations.