"Black Silicon" Image sensors

SnowleopardSnowleopard Posts: 244Member
edited February 2015 in Fun & Weird
Apparently this stuff was figured out back in like 1980 to be 100 or 1000 times more light sensitive than the silicone used in current imaging sensors. If that is case (35 years ago). Why aren't we using it now? I mean ISO 25,600 with no noise at all would be nice. Might even be able to get ISO 2,560,000 out of it with no in camera noise reduction.

I just haven't seen much on "Dark Silicone image sensors recently. Anyone heard anything, any engineer's know about this stuff?
||COOLPIX 5000|●|D70|●|D700|●|D810|●|AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED|●|AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D|●|AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D|●|AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G|●|AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D|●|AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED|●|AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED (Silver)|●|AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III|●|PB-6 Bellows|●|EL-NIKKOR 50mm f/2.8||

Comments

  • ThomasHortonThomasHorton Posts: 323Member
    I would imagine that it comes down to cost. Camera manufacturers do not try to make the best camera they can. They try to make the best camera that will sell at a specific cost/profit level.

    Probably no one has been able to make a business case for switching to this Black Silicon.
    Gear: Camera obscura with an optical device which transmits and refracts light.
  • IronheartIronheart Posts: 3,017Moderator
    Dark silicone is something way different than black silicon. Just sayin'...
    Just because a given material has a given property, doesn't mean it is easy (cheap) to exploit commercially. Black silicon also kills staph and anthrax bacteria, but we don't see it used there either.
  • AndrewzAndrewz Posts: 122Member
    Image quality seems poor. Looks like they are marketing it for night vision.

    http://sionyx.com/sensors/
    D750, P7000, F100 80-200 f2.8 AF-S, 24-120 f4, 50 f1.8D, 85 f1.8G, 14-24 f2.8

    Old friends now gone -D200, D300, 80-200 f2.3/D, 18-200, 35 f1.8G, 180 f2.8D, F, FM2, MD-12, 50 f1.4 Ais, 50 f1.8 Ais, 105 f2.5 Ais, 24 f2.8 Ais, 180 f2.8 ED Ais
  • SnowleopardSnowleopard Posts: 244Member
    Thank you guys, The link for Sionyx, I did not read anywhere that they are using the different silicone in their imaging sensors, but it is interesting.

    It's interesting to know it kills staph and anthrax bacteria also, but I am mainly interested in it for imaging sensors. There has to be more research on this somewhere.
    ||COOLPIX 5000|●|D70|●|D700|●|D810|●|AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED|●|AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D|●|AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D|●|AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G|●|AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D|●|AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED|●|AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED (Silver)|●|AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III|●|PB-6 Bellows|●|EL-NIKKOR 50mm f/2.8||
  • IronheartIronheart Posts: 3,017Moderator
    http://sionyx.com/about-sionyx/
    "SiOnyx is commercializing a patented semiconductor process that dramatically enhances the infrared sensitivity of silicon-based photonics. As a result, SiOnyx’s Black Silicon platform represents a significant breakthrough in the development of smaller, lower cost, higher performance photonic devices."
    If you have one company making a go of it, others will be watching to see what happens. I'm sure there is research going on, both academic, and industrial. If the process becomes even reasonably cost effective and mature, you can bet the military will be all over it.
  • heartyfisherheartyfisher Posts: 3,186Member
    We had a discussion or 2 on this forum about 5 years ago ... one thing I noticed is that it used to be 100 times more sensitive now on their website it states 10 times .. seems the "normal" tech is advancing rapidly..
    Moments of Light - D610 D7K S5pro 70-200f4 18-200 150f2.8 12-24 18-70 35-70f2.8 : C&C very welcome!
    Being a photographer is a lot like being a Christian: Some people look at you funny but do not see the amazing beauty all around them - heartyfisher.

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