Sharp Corp. has developed a 1/2.5-inch CCD image sensor with 8.28-megapixel effective resolution. The company achieved the resolution using the 1.75 μm x 1.75 μm pixel cell, which is claimed as is the industry's smallest class. Sample shipment is slated for the end of January 2007 and volume production and shipment are for April 2007. Pricing for a sample is JPY4,000 (including tax).
Higher resolution is needed more than before for use in compact digital cameras and a 1/2.5-inch sensor is required to have 7-megapixel or higher resolution, according to Sharp. The sensor package measures 10.0 x 10.0 x 3.5 mm. This is about a 60% (in volume) compared to the company's previous model (12.0 x 13.8 x 3.9 mm). via engadget.com