Sphere, the unique camera maker responsible for the Big Sky Camera, now teams up with semiconductor maker STMicroelectronics to create the world’s largest image sensor in commercial use. Capturing content for the Las Vegas Sphere’s massive 160,000 sq. ft., 16K x 16K display is no easy task, and this collaboration should enhance camera production, which in turn should make more film productions possible. The Big Sky Camera utilizes an enormous imaging sensor. The monstrous sensor consists of 316 million pixels (18K). It can capture 18K at a whopping 120 frames per second with a data rate of 60 gigabytes per second directly into the camera’s custom 32TB mags. The sensor measures 9.92cm x 8.31cm (82.4 squared cm) in size, which makes its production a challenging process. Sphere Big Sky Camera. Credit: Sphere Entertainment. The exponential challenge of big sensors At its core, every modern sensor is based on a flat silicone base. Without diving too deep into material engineering, a flat surface is a preliminary requirement. The tiniest flaw in the silicone surface flatness will disqualify the piece. Those silicone pieces are cut out of a circular piece called a wafer. Big Sky Sensor Wafer. Credit: STMicroelectronics If we hypothetically assume an average wafer suffers three flaws randomly spread across, they can potentially disqualify a maximum of three potential sensors. if the wafer is cut into Super 35 sensors, it still means most of it is exploited. If the target sensors are as large as the aforementioned Big Sky Camera’s sensor,...
Published By: CineD - Friday, 19 January, 2024