OmniVision Technologies

Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, OmniVision Technologies has offices in the US, Western Europe and Asia. In 2016, OmniVision was acquired by a consortium of Chinese investors consisting of Hua Capital Management Co., Ltd., CITIC Capital and Goldstone Investment Co., Ltd. OmniVision was founded in 1995 by Aucera Technology (TAIWAN:奧斯來科技). Some company milestones: OmniVision's front-side illumination (FSI) technology is used to manufacture compact cameras in mobile handsets, notebook computers and other applications that require low-light performance without the need for flash. OmniPixel3-GS expands on its predecessor, and is used for eye-tracking for facial authentication, and other computer vision applications. Backside illuminated image (BSI) technology differs from FSI architectures in how light is delivered to the photosensitive area of the sensor. In FSI architectures, the light must first pass through transistors, dielectric layers, and metal circuitry. In contrast, OmniBSI technology turns the image sensor upside down and applies color filters and micro lenses to the backside of the pixels, resulting in light collection through the backside of the sensor. The second-generation BSI technology, developed in cooperation with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), is built using custom 65 nm design rules and 300mm copper processes.