# Patent: Stacked Sensor Patents Continue to Stack Up



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jan 22, 2018)

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Canon continues to apply for patents for stacked sensors. With the number that we’ve seen over the last few months, I think it’s safe to say something is coming in the not-so-distant-future.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.canonnews.com/another-stacked-sensor-patent-application-from-canon">Canon News</a> breaks down Japan Patent Application 2018-7000:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>This patent revolves around having the ADC on the second underneath layer and only the photodiodes on the top layer and eleviating cross talk between pixels.  The underside layer is much larger than the sensor layer, whcih my assumption is that this lessons noise, heat and interferance between layers.</p>
<p>Stacked sensors can offer both dynamic range and noise benefits if done well, and also processing speed improvements.  They can also offer other benefits such as global shutter and high speed video applications.</p>

</blockquote>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.canonnews.com/another-stacked-sensor-patent-application-from-canon">Canon News</a> breaks down Japan Patent Application 2018-7101:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>We have also discovered another stacked sensor patent application….. which deals with reducing the power consumption by a stacked sensor design.</p>
<p>As you can imagine, the more you stuff on the stacked sensor, the more power it consumes.  Power is changed to waste heat.  Heat is bad.  Bad makes for bad sensors. :)</p></blockquote>
<p>When we’ll see this sort of sensor appear in a Canon product is a mystery, but I think more obvious innovation in sensors is coming from Canon.</p>
<p>Just a heads up, we’ve created a <a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?board=111.0">Patent Board on the forum</a>. Why I didn’t do this eons ago is a mystery.</p>
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## BillB (Jan 22, 2018)

<p>Just a heads up, we’ve created a <a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?board=111.0">Patent Board on the forum</a>. Why I didn’t do this eons ago is a mystery.</p>
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Maybe it just didn't seem like a good idea at the time.


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## Jack Douglas (Jan 23, 2018)

"Just a heads up, we’ve created a Patent Board on the forum. Why I didn’t do this eons ago is a mystery."

Probably, as many have pointed out, because Canon doesn't innovate. 

Jack


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## Canoneer (Jan 23, 2018)

I think the only downside to a stacked RGB sensor from Canon is that it would almost certainly require a new RAW file format (CR3 as it were). Sampling color data at every pixel location will be a huge benefit, even if initial models only have a max usable ISO of 6400 and 11-12 stops of DR; that would still be leaps and bounds better than Sigma's Quattro X3 Foveon. 

And let's not forget the sharpness benefits that Foveon demonstrated. It's been routinely stated that the Foveon's are equivalent to a Bayer with twice as many pixels in spatial resolution in terms of detail.


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## rrcphoto (Jan 23, 2018)

Canoneer said:


> I think the only downside to a stacked RGB sensor from Canon is that it would almost certainly require a new RAW file format (CR3 as it were). Sampling color data at every pixel location will be a huge benefit, even if initial models only have a max usable ISO of 6400 and 11-12 stops of DR; that would still be leaps and bounds better than Sigma's Quattro X3 Foveon.
> 
> And let's not forget the sharpness benefits that Foveon demonstrated. It's been routinely stated that the Foveon's are equivalent to a Bayer with twice as many pixels in spatial resolution in terms of detail.



it's not that kind of stacked sensor.


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## Larsskv (Jan 23, 2018)

rrcphoto said:


> Canoneer said:
> 
> 
> > I think the only downside to a stacked RGB sensor from Canon is that it would almost certainly require a new RAW file format (CR3 as it were). Sampling color data at every pixel location will be a huge benefit, even if initial models only have a max usable ISO of 6400 and 11-12 stops of DR; that would still be leaps and bounds better than Sigma's Quattro X3 Foveon.
> ...



Would you care to elaborate? What is the purpose of the stacked sensor, if it isn’t to drop the bayer?

I had a Sigma DP Merrill a few years ago. It had a lot of weaknesses, but resolution was insanely good for a “15 megapixel” camera.


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## rrcphoto (Jan 24, 2018)

Larsskv said:


> rrcphoto said:
> 
> 
> > Canoneer said:
> ...



one substrate for photodiodes, the other substrate for processing. same as what is in the A9 from Sony.


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