Foveon x3 Sensor

Stacked SensorsAn Examination of Foveonx3 Technology

David Villarreal

A broad range of Color Filter Arrays in digital sensors are integrated across consumer grade and professional cameras, most notably the Bayer CFA. One, often, overlooked design is the multilayer stacked X3 sensor patented by Foveon. Thought of as the precursor to multispectral imaging, the tri-layer sensor has the ability to perceive light with greater color fidelity at 3 distinctly banded depths, eliminating the need for an artifact heavy demosaicing algorithm. The aim of this project is to understand the capability of the Foveon x3 sensor and to compare its project is to understand the capability of the Foveon x3 sensor and to compare its color performance with the more traditional Bayer CFAs.