By Semiconductor Industry Observer
Introduction: When Speed Meets Resolution
In the field of machine vision, engineers have long faced a difficult trade-off: pursuing high resolution means sacrificing frame rate, while achieving high-speed capture requires compromising on pixel quality. This industry-wide conundrum, persisting for years, is now being progressively resolved by Sony's new-generation Pregius S sensors.
In 2025, Sony's Semiconductor Solutions Group introduced the IMX937 series global shutter CMOS image sensors, comprising the monochrome IMX937 AMB and the color IMX937 AQB. Building on the technological foundation of the IMX927 series, these sensors deliver an ultra-high resolution of 105MP and high-speed output of 56fps, offering a new core component option for industrial inspection equipment.
This article comprehensively analyzes the true value of these two sensors across four dimensions: technical specification comparison, core advantage analysis, endoscope adaptability assessment, and primary application areas.
I. Technical Specification Comparison of IMX937 AMB and IMX937 AQB
1.1 Shared Technical Platform
Both sensors share the same foundational technology, utilizing Sony's proprietary Pregius S back-illuminated stacked structure. This architecture separates the pixel layer from the circuit layer, enabling faster signal processing while maintaining high sensitivity.
Parameter Item Specification Value
Sensor Size 2.5 inches (39.7mm diagonal)
Effective Pixels 10,272 (H) × 10,272 (V) = Approximately 105.5 million pixels
Pixel Size 2.74μm × 2.74μm
Shutter Type Global Shutter
Output Interface SLVS EC (Supports 4.752 / 9.504 / 12.474 Gbps/Lane)
Package Type Ceramic Package with Connector, Dimensions 45mm × 52mm
Color Filter None for Monochrome Version / Bayer RGB for Color Version
1.2 Core Differences: Distinct Pathways for Monochrome and Color
The fundamental difference between IMX937 AMB (monochrome version) and IMX937 AQB (color version) lies in the presence or absence of a color filter array. This distinction results in the following characteristics:
Light Sensitivity: By removing the color filter, the monochrome version allows incident light to reach the photodiodes directly, achieving higher quantum efficiency and superior performance in low-light conditions. This is particularly crucial for high-speed capture scenarios requiring short exposure times.
Spatial Resolution: Each pixel in the monochrome version independently records luminance information, achieving a theoretical maximum resolution of 105 million pixels. The color version requires demosaicing algorithms to reconstruct color, a process that incurs slight detail loss.
Frame Rate Performance: Both sensors maintain identical frame rates at full pixel output: 56fps at 8-bit, 51fps at 10-bit, and 36fps at 12-bit. This ensures shooting speed remains unaffected regardless of monochrome or color selection.
Output Characteristics: The monochrome version outputs pure grayscale images, ideal for quantitative analysis and 3D measurement. The color version outputs raw Bayer format data, requiring subsequent color processing to restore full-color images.
1.3 Positioning Differences from the IMX927 Series
Notably, the IMX937 and IMX927 share identical pixel architecture and resolution but differ in frame rate specifications. The IMX927 supports high-speed output up to 112fps (8-bit), while the IMX937 operates at 56fps (8-bit). This distinction suggests the IMX937 series may prioritize power efficiency or signal processing depth, making it better suited for applications demanding moderate frame rates but stringent image quality.
II. Core Advantages: Three Key Technical Highlights of the IMX937 Series
2.1 Global Shutter: Distortion-Free Motion Capture
Unlike the rolling shutter commonly used in consumer cameras, the IMX937 employs a global shutter design where all pixels expose simultaneously. This means:
When capturing fast-moving objects, there is no tilting or stretching of the image-eliminating the jelly effect. This is critical for capturing rapidly moving circuit boards, wafers, or electronic components on industrial production lines. Even if objects shift during exposure, the global shutter preserves true geometric integrity.
2.2 1 Shot HDR: Detailed Capture in Complex Scenes
The IMX937 series incorporates 1 Shot HDR technology, expanding dynamic range within a single exposure while maintaining original frame rates and resolution.
This technology holds significant value for industrial inspection. Take PCB inspection as an example: a circuit board simultaneously features highly reflective metal solder joints and light-absorbing black solder resist layers, presenting extreme brightness differences. Traditional sensors often struggle to capture both, resulting in either overexposed highlights or underexposed shadows. 1 Shot HDR preserves detail in both areas, significantly reducing misjudgment rates.
2.3 Modular Packaging: Enhanced Convenience for System Integration
The IMX937 series adopts Sony's newly developed connector-equipped ceramic package measuring 45mm × 52mm. This design offers several advantages:
Removability allows sensors to be easily swapped within camera modules, simplifying assembly during camera manufacturing. All 16 products in the IMX927/937 series share identical connectors and pin definitions. This enables camera manufacturers to design universal motherboard platforms, allowing flexible replacement of sensors with different specifications based on customer requirements.
The package back features reserved space for heat sink installation, facilitating efficient thermal management and ensuring sensor stability during prolonged operation.
III. Endoscope Camera Module Compatibility Analysis
This is the primary concern for medical device developers. Can the IMX937 series be used in endoscope camera modules?
3.1 Feasibility Assessment
Technically, the IMX937 series can be used in endoscopic imaging systems, but significant application limitations exist.
Size Constraints: The sensor's package dimensions are 45mm × 52mm. This size significantly exceeds the 10–12mm diameter limit of traditional flexible endoscope tips, making integration into the front end of bendable insertion tubes impossible.
Application Scope: For rigid endoscopes, the sensor can be placed in an external camera head and connected to the front-end optical system via lens assemblies or fiber optics, where size constraints are relatively lenient. For surgical microscope integration systems, the sensor can be mounted within the microscope body, eliminating size constraints entirely.
3.2 Unique Value in Endoscopic Applications
If size constraints can be overcome, the IMX937 series offers distinct advantages in endoscopy:
Value of Global Shutter: During thoracoscopic or laparoscopic surgery, cardiac pulsation, respiratory movement, and vascular pulsation cause tissue displacement. The global shutter effectively reduces motion blur, providing surgeons with clearer real-time images.
Fluorescence Applications with Monochrome Version: The high sensitivity of the monochrome IMX937 AMB in the near-infrared band makes it ideal for indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging. During ICG-guided hepatobiliary or oncological surgeries, the monochrome sensor captures fluorescence signals with enhanced clarity.
True Color Rendering: The color IMX937 AQB is suitable for surgical scenarios requiring accurate tissue color assessment, such as gastrointestinal lesion identification and laparoscopic exploration.
3.3 Comparison with Other Sony Sensors
Sensor Model Resolution Shutter Type Package Size Endoscope Compatibility
IMX937 105MP Global Shutter 45×52mm Rigid/Surgical Microscope Compatible
IMX927 105MP Global Shutter 45×52mm Rigid/Surgical Microscope Compatible
IMX661 128MP Global Shutter Larger Rigid Compatible
IMX811 247MP Rolling shutter 75×63.6mm Rigid endoscope compatible
Mainstream Endoscope Sensors 2 8MP Rolling shutter/Global shutter <15mm Fully compatible with flexible/rigid endoscopes
IV. Key Application Areas Overview
4.1 Automated Optical Inspection
The primary target market for the IMX937 series is automated optical inspection, encompassing both 2D AOI and 3D AOI.
In electronics manufacturing, accelerating component miniaturization challenges traditional inspection equipment with insufficient resolution. The 105MP resolution enables single-shot coverage of larger PCB areas while maintaining clear identification of 01005-sized components. Global shutter ensures distortion-free imaging of fast-moving circuit boards, while 1-Shot HDR preserves details in both metallic solder joints and black substrates.
4.2 Semiconductor and Precision Electronics Inspection
Applications like wafer defect detection, chip packaging quality inspection, and mask inspection demand increasingly stringent resolution requirements. The IMX937 series' high pixel density enables coverage of larger wafer areas in a single image capture, reducing the need for image stitching and enhancing inspection efficiency.
4.3 Flat Panel Display Inspection
Pixel-level defect detection on OLED and LCD panels requires
