TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry, announced today a partnership with Changchun Changguang Yuanchen Microelectronics Technology Inc. (YCM), a BSI process manufacturer for backside illumination (BSI) manufacturing in Changchun, China to provide the BSI process segment for CMOS image sensor (CIS) wafers manufactured by TowerJazz. This partnership will allow TowerJazz to serve its worldwide customers with advanced BSI technology in mass production, at competitive prices, starting in the middle of 2018.

The new BSI technology will be utilized for high-end photography, automotive, and AR/VR, among other growing CIS markets. This is the first time BSI will be offered by a foundry to the high-end photography market, including large formats requiring stitching.

BSI and stacked wafers are the state of the art CIS technology for higher pixel sensitivity, allowing a boost in the number of photons captured by the pixels for better picture quality in low light conditions, as well as providing higher dynamic range and higher frame rates (faster sensors).

TowerJazz and its leading customers view BSI technology as playing an important future role in the growing high-end CIS market, including DSLR high end photography, cinematography cameras, and automotive, among others. TowerJazz’s BSI offering is unique in the sense that it is focused on high-end large format, including stitched sensors. It also provides the roadmap for wafer stacking, including pixel level wafer stacking.

“TowerJazz is recognized worldwide as the leader of CMOS image sensor manufacturing platforms for high-end applications,” said Dabing Li, YCM Chief Executive Officer. “The collaboration with TowerJazz will certainly allow us to bring unique and high value technology to the market quickly and in high volume, especially to the growing Chinese market where TowerJazz already plays a significant role.”

“I am thrilled with the capabilities we developed with YCM, supporting our continued leadership in many different high-end growing markets. In addition, the excellent collaboration with YCM enables us further penetration into this very fast growing high-end CMOS camera market in China,” said Dr. Avi Strum, Senior Vice President and General Manager, CMOS Image Sensor Business Unit.  “I have very high confidence in the technical capabilities of this partnership.”