Collaboration to deliver sovereign space imaging sensing

The three-year Technology for European iNdependence in Space Image Sensor (TENSIS) project will address the EU-based development of advanced CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) imaging sensors.

The project will aim to create a strategic, competitive advantage for European prime and equipment manufacturers and reduce the dependence on critical technologies and capabilities from outside the EU.

The program was launched at an inauguration event in consortium member Teledyne e2v facilities in Saint-Egrève, France. It aims to validate a scalable, large-area, high-resolution, radiation tolerant, customisable, and affordable 180nm CMOS detector characterised by a 24K x 16K stitched CMOS matrix of 400MPixels. A smaller 4K x 4K stitched CMOS array will also be designed and manufactured.

Teledyne e2v Semiconductors SAS and Teledyne Innovaciones Microelectronicas SL will oversee the project, design the detectors, including the pixel, while Imec will manage the development of the optical stack on top of the CMOS detector, including filters and optical microlenses.