Chipworks

Yesterday we told you we would reveal the image sensor manufacturer in our iPhone 4S.  From the phone calls we have been receiving, this is something of extreme interest to the general community.  Well now is the time to learn who won the primary sensor socket in the specific iPhone 4S we have. We have a number of phones coming in from around the world, and will keep you updated with information as it comes out of the lab.

But before I do tell you, I want to put some context behind this.

Apple has a history of dual sourcing key components in their products. We have seen on a regular basis now Apple dual sources the DDR2 SDRAM between Samsung and Elpida. On these iPhone 4S’s we have observed Samsung DDR2 in a serial number from Germany and Elpida DDR2 in a serial number from Australia and Elpida in a serial number from Ontario.

Our understanding from our industry contacts over the last 6 to 8 months indicates that Apple will dual source the primary 8 Mp CMOS Image sensor. So, if we tell you that our CMOS image sensor comes from company XYZ, that does not mean that all iPhone 4S’s use company XYZ’s CMOS image sensor. It will take analyzing a sampling of phones from around the world to see if indeed Apple has dual sourced this camera.

So without further avail, here we go.

The external markings on the underside reveal nothing more than serial number and lot codes from the company who did final assembly of the camera module. Next we have a great side x-ray of the module where we can see the lens assembly that is delivering 1080P at 30 fps. This bares a lot of similarity to the prior generation iPhone 4 that had an OmniVision design win.

iPhone 4S camera module	iPhone 4S CMOS image sensor
iPhone 4S camera module X-ray	Previous generation iPhone 4 camera module X-ray

In order to get our readers the device manufacturer as soon as possible, rather than going through a fuming sulfuric acid chip deprocessing we chose to use our infrared microscope to look through the structure of this image sensor. What you see are the die markings on the base layer of the image sensor. The image isn’t beautiful, but it’s enough to tell us that Sony is in our particular iPhone 4S. (click image to enlarge)

iPhone 4S CMOS image sensor die markings

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update on Oct 26, 2011:

This original blog posting was on the week of October 16th and based on many of the phone calls we have been receiving regarding the primary camera design win, we took a look at a few more phones.  We have now seen 2 phones sourced in Canada from the retail and online Apple stores that have both had Sony die markings.  We looked at two more phones from other regions with the following results:

One of the cameras came from Australia and, according to date codes,  came off the assembly line at Foxconn in Calender week 42 (The week of Oct 10^th)

Sony sensor found in Australian iPhone 4S

The other camera from the USA (Verizon phone) came off the assembly line at Foxconn in Calender week 41 (The week of Oct 3^th)

Sony sensor found in US iPhone 4S

So in our sample set of four phones, we have found only Sony sensors. The preliminary look at this CMOS Image Sensor suggests some innovation on the part of Sony and in the next couple days we will be launching a Process and Circuit Analysis on this sensor.  You can sign-up for updates on the latest Image sensors here to be kept up to date.

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Now the other device we have been very curious about is the  touch screen controller. The touch screen controller on the previous generation iPhone 4 was Texas Instruments and, drum roll please, Texas Instruments has scored again. Apple has stuck with the Texas Instruments. The part number 343S0538 is fabricated by Texas Instruments for Apple. TI has adopted a wafer scale package in this version to save costs. The device was tested in August of 2011. Fresh from our shelves to you!.

Texas Instruments 343S0538 touch screen controller

While the layout of the die looks basically the same as the previous generation’s, the 343S0538 chip has new die markings. This device’s first set of die markings read: [TI logo]/ (M) / 2009TI / F761530, and a second set of die markings found read: NIMBUSAFE.

Texas Instruments 343S0538 die photo

Texas Instruments 343S0538 die markings

Texas Instruments 343S0538 die markings (2)

The Cyber-shot S006 We recently took a look inside the Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot S006, with the eagerly anticipated 16 Mp image sensor, as well as some other interesting silicon found inside. This phone features a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and mobile wallet functions.  And with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we found the pink exterior of this Japanese phone an appropriate shade.

Sony IMX081PQ The first thing we wanted to look at was, of course, the Cybershot’s much ballyhooed 16 MP CMOS image sensor. Sony has the distinction of being first to market with a commercial back illuminated CMOS image sensor, when it launched its HDR-XR520V camcorder in early 2009. The discovery is that now, two years later, Sony is again first to market – this time with a next generation 1.1 µm class pixel. Sony announced the IMX081PQ Exmor-R CMOS image sensor and IU081F camera module in October 2010. Featuring 1.12 µm pixels, the camera modules are claimed to be the smallest and thinnest modules of this resolution for mobile phones. These devices mark Sony’s first deployment of Exmor-R (back illuminated) sensors in mobile applications, and are part of Sony’s strategy to aggressively pursue design wins in high-end mobile phones. Shortly after the sensor announcement in October 2010, Sony Ericsson announced its 16 Mp Cyber-shot – arguably a camera with mobile phone features.

Sony IMX081PQ (continued) The 10.5 mm x 10.5 mm x 7.9 mm module features a chip-on-board (COB) mounted image sensor, an autofocus mechanism, and a printed wiring board (PWB) with embedded components – something which Sony has been a bit of a laggard on until now. The die itself is clearly a Sony BSI part, although we’ve noticed a recent trend from Sony CMOS image sensors, which is the discontinuation of die identification markings.  The IMX081PQ uses Bayer patterned color filters and microlenses on a 1.1 µm pitch.

Other identified silicon The Sony Cyber-shot contains many silicon devices worth noting, including: A Qualcomm QSD8650 microprocessor, with package markings Qualcomm logo/QSD8650/B3H504.0/H204000C Two Qualcomm transceivers, the first with package markings Qualcomm logo/RTR6500/B2N887.1/A2045002, and the second with package markings Qualcomm logo/RTR6280/A4C099.1/F3045003 A Ricoh power management IC with package markings RICOH/5T7710/048M18. A Texas Instruments power management IC with package markings TPS/65023/TI09J/PFDC 04. A bit of diligent research indicates that this part uses copper wire bonding within instead of the usual gold wires Cypress Cy8CTMA300 touch screen controller – notably also found in recent teardowns of the Nook and HTC Surround 7

Reports available on chips found in this teardown Sony IMX081 16 MP CMOS Image Sensor featuring 1.1 µm Pixels Imager Process Review Cypress CY8CTMA300/340 Touch Screen Controller Functional Analysis Report