CANON TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS 2009 ENGLISH

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CANON INC.

30-2, Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146-8501, Japan www.canon.com

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CANON
TECHNOLOGY
HIGHLIGHTS
2OO9

CANON
TECHNOLOGY
Technologies that make dreams come true,
make the impossible possible, and sustain
the global environment and society.
Since its very beginnings, Canon has worked to develop and
acquire innovative technologies that lead the times.
A single discovery that leads to the birth of a new technology,
a seed which, when carefully nurtured,
blossoms in the form of a Canon product.
Behind this process lies Canons unwavering stance
as a company with a vision focused on the future and
a commitment to original technologies,
a company that strives to pioneer new technological frontiers,
tackling whatever challeges the future may bring.

CONTENTS
Message from Top Management

P.2

President & COO, Canon Inc.

Tsuneji Uchida
Overview of Canon Technologies

P.4

Input Devices

P.22

Compact Digital Cameras

P.22

SLR Cameras

P.24

Digital Video Camcorders

P.26

Scanners

P.28

Toward the Realization of Cross-Media Imaging

Output Devices
Contributing to Society and the Environment
Through Technology

Discussing Canon Technology

P.6

P.8

Executive Vice President & CTO, Canon Inc.

Canon Core Technologies

Inkjet Printers

P.30

Large-Format Inkjet Printers

P.32

Laser Beam Printers

P.34

Network Digital MFPs

P.36

Digital Color Presses imagePRESS

P.42

Exposure Equipment

Toshiaki Ikoma

P.30

P.44

Semiconductor Exposure Equipment

P.44

Mirror Projection Aligners

P.46

P.12

Image Capture

P.12

Electrophotography

P.14

Optical Equipment

P.48

Inkjet Printing

P.16

Medical Equipment

P.51

Exposure Equipment

P.18

Displays

P.20
Fundamental Technologies

P.52

Platform Technologies

P.52

Device Technologies

P.58

Production Engineering Technologies

P.62

Quality Management Technologies

P.66

Environmental Technologies

P.68

Future Technologies, Today

P.70

Message from Top Management

In pursuit of kyosei, Canon's technology focuses

Working to make kyosei a reality

Canons corporate philosophy is kyosei, which refers to all people, regardless
of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into
the future. For us, it is essential that Canon technology contributes to the
achievement of kyosei.
In addition, the driving force behind Canon's growth and profitability is its
technology. By sparking technological innovations that support better living
standards and social and cultural development, Canon has grown into a
corporation whose name is recognized across the globe.
As the world undergoes major changes on its way to becoming a
sustainable society, Canon aims to remain prosperous for the next 100,
or even 200 years. To society at large and to Canon as a manufacturing
company, technology will become increasingly important.
Canon as a manufacturing company
A manufacturing company must have the ability to both develop core
technologies and practically apply them for incorporation into actual
products. Canon has created core technologies for products in fields such as
image capture and electrophotography by infusing mechatronics, electronics,
fine chemicals, and other engineering disciplines with a core focus on optics.
The company has also fine-tuned its understanding of commercialization
and manufacturing technologies to introduce a host of highly competitive
value-added products.
With a strong will, we are working to further hone our ability to achieve
the highest levels of quality. It is no mistake to say that it is Canons
essence to continue delivering products with superior design, ease of use,
functionality, reliability, durability, and cost performance.

squarely on the future

Cross-media imaging
Canon is now pursuing a vision in which people are able to realistically
reproduce their thoughts and dreams at will through images and information,
spanning time and space to facilitate creative expression while supporting
spiritual enrichment. Toward the realization of this vision, we are promoting
sophisticated synergies between imaging devices, what we call cross-media
imaging. We will achieve this integration through further advances in our
cameras, video camcorders, printers and displaysthe input and output
products that enable realistic expression and reproductionalong with such
supporting technological platforms as image-processing technology and color
management. Equally important are advances in the range of technologies
that allow users to realize this expression and reproduction at will, including
user-interface, transmission, networking, image-recognition, and
image-search technologies.
By further developing cross-media imaging, Canon is
taking steps forward in making this vision a reality.

Tsuneji Uchida
President & COO
Canon Inc.

Toward the Realization of Cross-Media Imaging

Overview of Canon Technologies

From input to output and still images to video, Canon is working to achieve advanced synergies between imaging products.
Growing from Canon's core technologies, imaging technologies supporting Creation, Expression, and Presentation provide users
with an all-new richly unique communication experience.

Technologies for
Compact
digital cameras

X-ray image sensors

Expression

Scanners
Network cameras

Color management technologies

SLR cameras

Technologies for

Creation

Telecommunication technologies

Mirror projection aligners

Digital video camcorders

TV lenses

Semiconductor exposure
equipment

logies

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Plat

logies

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vice Te

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Image Capture
Technologies

Exposure
Equipment
Technologies

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T
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Produc
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Enviro

Fundamental Technologies ( P.52)

Platform Technologies / Device Technologies /
Production Engineering Technologies /
Quality Management Technologies / Environmental Technologies

Fundamental technologies are those that are shared among all

products. They represent the foundation on which all Canon products
are supported and span from the product development and manufacturing stages through to the nal recycling stage.

Further Development of
Existing Technologies

Inkjet printers

Expansion of
Technological Domains

LCD projectors

Network digital MFPs

SEDs

Presentation

Technologies for
Laser beam printers

Organic LED displays

Large-format
inkjet printers

Digital color presses

Intelligent
image-processing
technology
Medical imaging
technologies

Future Technologies
Display
Technologies
Inkjet Printing
Technologies
Electrophotography
Technologies

Future Technologies ( P.70)

Canon is moving forward toward the creation of future
Canon business domains through such technologies as
vision-based technologies centered around the latest
optical technologies, judgment-based technologies that
apply advanced image-processing technologies, and
behavior-based technologies made possible through
advances in articial intelligence research.

Core Technologies ( P.12)

Image Capture Technologies / Exposure Equipment Technologies /
Electrophotography Technologies / Inkjet Printing Technologies / Display Technologies

Canon has ve core technologies. Through cross-media imaging,

the company is working to realize further innovations in these ve
technological areas while aiming to create new core technologies.

Contributing to Society and the Environment

Through Technology
Since its foundation, Canon has contributed to society with unique technologies that open the way to new eras. Spanning more than 70 years, the companys history is one of technological development. Dedicated to original technologies with an emphasis on research and development, Canon continues to introduce innovative new products, contributes to improved social conveniences, and creates new value.

Realizing Innovative Manufacturing

Acquisition of U.S. patents

Fostering exceptional engineers

Canon's technological capabilities have grown through the

development of cutting-edge technologies and the accumulation of an array of basic technologies. Patents are one way
that the technological prowess of a company is measured,
and in the United States, where companies from around the
world have gathered, Canon has maintained its position
among the top three patent recipients for the past 16 years.

Canon recognizes employees who have made meaningful

contributions to the research and development of superior
technologies as Members of the Canon Academy of Technology. Academy Members are specialists in their respective
elds and betting representatives of Canon technology.
Research achievements by these highly insightful and
experienced Members in various elds of expertise have
garnered attention not only inside the company, but also
externally through academic conferences and journal articles.
Some Canon Academy Members have even received
prestigious awards from outside the company for their
notable achievements.
In addition to further honing their own technical
knowledge, Members of the Academy help to educate
younger generations of Canon engineers and also promote
the company's exceptional technologies to the world at large.

Companies and number of patent acquisitions, 2008

IBM

4,164

Samsung Electronics

3,518

Canon

2,114

Microsoft

2,027

Intel

1,777

* Based on weekly patent counts issued by the United States Patent and
Trademark Ofce.

Canon R&D bases

Canon is expanding its operations into all corners of the
world, with R&D bases, production facilities, and market-

4
5

ing arms based in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Capitalizing on its proprietary technologies, Canon

actively engages in activities aimed at meeting the needs

7
6

8
9

of customers in different countries and regions while

paying special attention to local culture and diversity.

10

1 Canon Inc.
2

Canon Development Americas, Inc.

6 Canon India Software Development Centre

7 Canon Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

3 Canon U.S. Life Sciences, Inc.

8 Canon (Suzhou) System Software Inc.

4 Canon Technology Europe Ltd.

9 Canon Information Technologies Philippines, Inc.

5 Canon Research Centre France S.A.S.

10 Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty. Ltd.

Social Contributions Made Possible by Technology

Striving to be a truly excellent global company, Canon engages in business activities while also working
diligently to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities. Currently, the company carries out nature conservation
and supports social and cultural activities across the globe through the provision of imaging equipment and
support for research efforts.
Furthermore, Canon's cutting-edge digital technologies are being put to use as part of the Cultural
Heritage Inheritance Project in order to preserve historical Japanese cultural treasures for future generations.
Cultural Heritage Inheritance Project
(Also known as the Tsuzuri Project)
Carried out jointly with the Kyoto Culture
Association (NPO), this project is intended to
protect priceless ancient Japanese cultural assets,
such as traditional folding screens and sliding
doors. These works of art are first digitally
recorded, after which the images are stored as
digital data and printed on a Canon large-format
inkjet printer to make replicas of the artworks in
their original size. Because Canon technology
enables the creation of high-resolution duplicates
almost identical in appearance to the originals,
the priceless artwork can be stored under
conditions better suited to prevent deterioration.

Top: Takanobu Kano's masterpiece, Kinkishoga-zu, which was returned

to Kyoto's Ryoan-ji Temple through the Tsuzuri Project
Bottom: A large-format inkjet printer produces a full-scale print

Academic Collaboration with Utsunomiya University

Today, Japan offers no opportunities for systematic education in the field of optics. In April 2007, Canon
established the Center for Optical Research and Education (CORE) in cooperation with Utsunomiya
University to provide a place to educate optics engineers and conduct cutting-edge optical research.
CORE aims to provide a systematic education curriculum spanning from fundamental aspects of optical
science like geometric optics and wave optics, to fields of application and advanced technologies, all with
the goal of inspiring innovations that give way to new technologies and value.
CORE marks a fresh departure from prior collaborations between industry and academic
institutions that conventionally took the form of
joint or contracted research projects. As a leading
manufacturer of optical equipment, Canon
supports and works with CORE, including the
sending of employees to serve as instructors on
subjects in the optical sciences, so that it may
become the worlds premier optical research
institute.

Discussing Canon Technology

Taking on challenges in pursuit of dreams

Canon's strengths are
the key to creating
a new world of imaging.
Two of Canon's major pillars of technology to date have been optical
technology and precision technology. These technologies, fostered through
the development of cameras and other products, have been applied to
semiconductor exposure equipment, providing a typical example of products
that symbolize the company's spirit of innovation.
In the field of information technology as well, Canon possesses advanced
technologies in such areas as LSI design and image processing.
At the same time, Canon is also highly regarded for its ability to create
products that combine and integrate technologies. For example, the company's
efforts in the field of electrophotography have led to the introduction of
a host of copiers and printers that use static electricity, earning Canon an
excellent reputation worldwide. Surprisingly, no technology capable of
perfectly controlling static electricity has been established since Benjamin
Franklin identified it some 250 years ago. Many years of experience and the
accumulation of know-how have enabled Canon to put this volatile natural
phenomenon to practical use. The same holds true for Canon's inkjet printing
technology.
In other words, Canon's technical prowess has undergone stunning growth
and development by taking in-the-field experience and using it to integrate
and merge optics, precision technologies, and related fields to advance them
to increasingly higher levels.
This is truly the essence of practical ability achieved through the fusion of
technology and skill. From the perspective of practical ability, a system that
emphasizes production through cell production, automation, and the in-house
manufacture of key devices is just another of Canon's strengths.
Products such as toner and ink are the crystallization of materials
technology, and todays driving force behind the company's growth.
To develop Canon's technical prowess in these and other fields in the
future, we will continue bolstering our advanced technical strengths.
Moreover, in line with the cross-media imaging strategy that we unveiled in
2005 as a new direction for technical development, the company will strive to
open a broad new field of imaging possibilities while expanding current fields
of activity and making the most of our existing technological strengths.

Toshiaki Ikoma
Executive Vice President & CTO
Canon Inc.

How will
cross-media imaging
evolve?

Development of
cross-media imaging expands
future potential.

One of the most important challenges we must overcome

is how to utilize the new world of imaging to benefit
mankind and as a means of enriching social life.
For example, one area of pursuit that comes to mind for
the new imaging domain is healthcare.
Canon is currently collaborating with Kyoto University to
develop technologies that enable peering deeper into the
human body than normal vision allows.
In the case of disorders such as cancer or vascular
disease, exposing the human body to ultrasonic waves,
light flux, magnet fields and other energy fields can be
used to clearly identify affected areas by interaction effect,
and acquire information for diagnoses. This provides an
opportunity for Canon's advanced imaging solutions to be
put to effective use in the field of medical imaging.

CMOS sensor technology and image-processing

technology, just some of the cutting-edge fundamental
technologies shared among Canon products, represent
the foundation of the company's imaging capabilities. We
will strive to extend these technologies into wider fields
through cross-media imaging, which offers the potential
for the creation of entirely new fields.
Robotics, for example, a field that has attracted
considerable attention, is one area that could benefit
from Canon's precision technologies. There is also strong
demand for sensing and control technologies, and their
integration with imaging technologies. And one of the
major themes here is super machine vision. This refers to
efforts to further expand the potential of human visual
perception, which is said to account for 75% of human
perception, incorporating advanced functionality to enable
future-oriented imaging technologies. Such technologies
as the 50-million pixel CMOS sensor ( P.58), achieved
through Canon's device technology, and MR technology
( P.72) will contribute significantly to these efforts. In
addition, the exploration of the cosmos, made possible by
the Subaru telescope, is another field under consideration.
Research and development efforts in the field of futureoriented imaging encompass not only imaging for light
waves beyond the visible wavelength spectrum, but also
imaging capable of making use of all senses, including
taste, hearing, and smell. As such, I believe that we need
to further expand the scope of our fundamental research
to also include brain functions.

Aspiring for ambitious technological achievements in

10

Developing an environment
where talented engineers can focus
on the challenges of R&D.

Canon's original technologies are

developed under careful
management guidance.

Several possible fields of application have been presented

as examples of the reach that cross-media imaging offers,
and Canon, as a corporation, must carefully consider how to
fully utilize them. Although it may be necessary to repeatedly
review plans in order to realize commercialization, one thing
that must be understood is the unlimited potential of crossmedia imaging.
When pursuing new development within the imaging
domain, what is most important is whether the efforts are
accompanied by a dream. Our aim is not simply growing it as
a new business, but rather to make use of the passion to make
the technological future we envision a reality, and the spirit to
face all challenges to contribute to a richer society as we strive
to realize new possibilities in imaging technology.
Canon places great importance on its research and
development, investing over 300 billion per year in R&D on
a consolidated basis since 2006, and will continue following
this course, as will be reflected in the creation of a new R&D
framework and environment.
The Frontier Research Center conducts future-focused
research in basic technical fields from a long-term perspective,
beginning with scientific research to identify the technological
seeds that can be developed into viable future technologies.
Canon will continue to maintain and enhance these
research and development environments. The company
will actively engage in joint research involving not only
Canon Inc.'s research and development divisions, but also
the companys entire global R&D network linking Canon
research bases across the globe, along with outside research
institutions and universities.

Since the companys founding, Canon's corporate DNA has

comprised a respect for human dignity, an emphasis on
technology, and a spirit of enterprise. This has since led to a
tradition of unfailing commitment to original technologies.
For Canon, these original technologies" must go beyond
being just original. Rather, they must be truly superior, creative
technologies. Moreover, such original technologies must serve
to further enhance the company's core capabilities, the source
of Canons competitive prowess.
The core capabilities of a manufacturer cannot be achieved
simply through the application of existing technologies. Canon
has built its history through dedication to original technologies
and in-house development, which has resulted in the birth of
core technologies and products, and the establishment of the
company's technological strength.
To maintain and advance this framework, we must
strengthen company-wide technical management capabilities
with our sights set not only on ten years from now, but even
farther into the future. To fulfill this goal, in January 2008 we
established the Technological Strategy Committee. In addition
to furthering our understanding of all aspects of science and
technology, by establishing an accurate future vision based on
the acquisition of a broad, objective perspective of the market
and proposing potential technological applications in new
fields, Canon will further enhance its development capabilities
for the creation of original technologies.

Discussing Canon Technology

a free and open environment

The true spirit of Canon engineers
is reflected in repeatedly
embracing challenges.
While many Canon products have been realized through
diverse technical innovations, these achievements represent
the triumphs of engineers whose names will forever be linked
with the companys technological history. Despite many failed
attempts, their perseverance and diligence ultimately led to
success.
Canons technical development capabilities are supported
by the companys free and open corporate culture, along
with the progress in the sharing of information realized by
direct links between R&D and production divisions. As one
of our strengths, we will continue to foster this corporate
culture while actively promoting exchanges between engineers
throughout the company aimed at the sharing of knowledge
and information. We believe that these efforts will add further
momentum to the existing corporate culture, providing
encouragement to exceptionally talented individuals toward
the proposal and execution of new and innovative technical
ideas.
I associate with a wide range of engineers myself
as I personally take part in events such as the Innovative
Engineering Forum, which provides a venue for engineers to
engage in extensive debate and discussion, as well as regular
lunch meetings with junior engineers. Some of the ideas
proposed by these young engineers at these events have been
adopted as actual research themes.
Canon will cultivate various research ideas, developing them
into technological dreams. Through a process of repeated trial
and error, original technologies will be born and, supported by
an infallible framework, strengthened toward a grand vision.
I look to our engineers to pursue their development efforts
embracing this spirit of challenge.
It is this spirit of challenge that represents the true spirit of
Canon engineers.

11

Canon Core Technologies

Bringing the core technologies at the heart of each Canon product to fruition was neither quick nor easy.
Behind the creation of these technologies lie the brilliant imagination and vision of engineers, the unrelenting effort, countless failed attempts, and infinite challenges.

Image Capture
While charting its course as a camera manufacturer, Canon grew
hand in hand with advancements in image-capture technology.
Thanks to unparalleled expertise in the fields of optics and precision engineering acquired over many years, and through the development of the worlds highest level of sensor technologies and
image-processing techniques technologies, Canon is a global leader
in the field of image capture.
50-Megapixel CMOS Sensor

Development and Accumulation of Optical

Technologies
Canon was founded in 1937 with the aim of creating the world's
No. 1 camera. The company's history has proceeded apace with
the development of cutting-edge optical technologies. To date,
Canon has produced literally hundreds of masterpiece lenses.
One such example is the fluorite lens, which had long been
considered an impossibility. Fluorite is characterized by extremely
low levels of chromatic aberration, ideal for capturing vivid,
detailed images that cannot be achieved using conventional
optical glass. Fueled by a burning desire to use fluorite in lenses,
the company ultimately succeeded in synthesizing fluorite crystals.
Canon also developed special processing technologies for such
delicate materials, which could not be ground in the same way as
normal optical glass, quadrupling the amount of time used during
the grinding process. In 1969, Canon launched the world's first
lens incorporating fluorite.
Canon has also applied itself diligently to the development of
aspherical lenses. In theory, with conventional spherical lenses,
the focal point for the central portion of the lens does not coincide
with the focal point for the peripheral area. This discrepancy,
however, can be eliminated with an aspherical lens. Aiming to
achieve a level of precision within 0.1 m (1 m = one millionth
of a meter), Canon engineers repeatedly measured and shaped the
lenses, and established the necessary design, processing, and ultraprecision measurement technologies. In 1971, Canon became the
world's first company to market an SLR camera lens incorporating
aspherical elements. Today, the company manufactures aspherical
lenses with a degree of processing accuracy of 0.02 m.

Another major achievement was the development of the DO

lens. In the mid-nineties, Canon engineers believed that they
could effectively correct for chromatic aberration by using a
lens that incorporated a diffractive optical element, in which
chromatic aberration occurs in the opposite direction to that of
a refractive lens. Through the application of precision processing
technologies, Canon created a diffractive optical element and,
in 2001, produced the worlds first commercial DO Lens. This
development made possible the creation of telephoto zoom lenses
that are not only significantly smaller, but also realize higher levels
of image quality.
Other Canon milestones in lens technology are too numerous
to list, but include the development of free-form surface lenses,
an ultracompact 3x optical zoom lens unit that fits on top of a
one-cent euro coin, and a 100x zoom television broadcasting lens.
In addition, the company has put its camera-manufacturing knowhow and experience to use in the development of a range of other
technologies indispensable in the field of photography, including
auto-focus systems employing advanced sensors, the worlds first
practical application of the ultrasonic motor, and optical imagestabilization technology. And the development process continues
today, as cameras have evolved from analog to digital.
Lenses and other optical technologies, used in the companys
electrophotographic technology as well as semiconductorexposure and LCD panel-exposure systems, have contributed
to the diversification of Canons business and represent a key
supporting core technology.

Focusing on CMOS Sensor Development

Interchangeable SLR Camera Lens Featuring a DO Lens

EF70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM (introduced in 2004)

12

In 1987, during the analog camera era, Canon developed and

deployed the BASIS bipolar amplification sensor as the focusing
sensor for the EOS650, the company's first autofocus SLR camera.
Recognizing the potential of this sensor, the company's engineers
embarked upon a detailed analysis and advancement project,
marking the start of the CMOS sensor.
In 2000, thirteen years later, Canon decided to use the CMOS
sensor the company developed in-house as the image sensor in
the digital SLR camera planned for release that year. Aware that
any development hitches would prevent commercialization of the
camera, the companys engineers set to work.
Compared with CCD image sensors, although CMOS sensors

generally offered the advantages of low power consumption, fast

reading speeds, and low cost, their high levels of noise and poor
sensitivity were pointed out as disadvantages at the time. Fixedpattern noise in particular was far from satisfying Canon's image
quality standards. To overcome these shortcomings, the company
thoroughly reviewed all processes required for manufacture and
developed a noise-cancellation system, thereby clearing the noise
hurdle.
Meanwhile, it also became necessary to produce clean
transistors with a leak current approximately 1/1,000th of that of
transistors used in standard PCs and memory elements. Leaking
of current is caused by heavy-metal contamination during the
manufacturing process and irregularities in the structure of
silicon crystals. Initially, almost all of the transistors were deemed
defective in this regard, but the establishment of thorough
cleaning and processing technologies paved the way for the
launch of the EOS D30.
While todays CMOS sensors exceed 20 million pixels, Canon
has successfully developed one with 50 million pixels. Moreover,
the company has realized further advances in CMOS sensors to
make possible a compact sensor capable of capturing full highdefinition (HD) video.

Breaking New Ground: The DIGIC Image Processor

If the image sensor of a digital camera acts like film, then the
device responsible for the development process that creates a
visible image is the imaging processor. By the mid-1990s, digital
cameras of other companies commonly used a microcomputer,
which required several seconds per shot. Canon, in contrast,
initially augmented the LSI (large-scale integrated circuit) used
in video camcorders to process video signals with a new LSI. The
results, however, were far from satisfactory. Then, in the fall of
1996, a project was launched with the aim of developing a singlechip system LSI for image processing even through there were no
formal plans for a corresponding digital camera product.
In the beginning, the project targeted the creation of an engine
that could be integrated into any digital camera, not only to
process the image data captured by the CCD sensor, but also to
control the lens aperture, shutter speed, focus, and electronic
flash, as well as manage power consumption, control the LCD
monitor, and write to memory.
While microcomputers utilized von Neumann architecture
for sequential processing, imaging processors had been nonvon Neumann from the beginning, so a proprietary architecture
suitable for general image processing was adopted. In addition,
the project was one of the worlds first to begin development
using a C programming language, enabling rapid, high-quality
verification.
One of the most important development objectives for the
project was beautiful image quality. Also vital was processing
speed. Compromises such as exploiting low expectations for the
image quality of digital cameras or assuming that waiting several
seconds for each shot was unavoidable were never considered.

Canon's first image processor, a single-chip integrated circuit

for processing digital signals, was introduced in the PowerShot
S10, released in October 1999. Although originally nameless, this
image processor was christened DIGIC upon the launch of its third
generation in 2003.
2008's DIGIC 4 marks the sixth generation of the image
processor. With stunning improvements in speed, enhanced facedetection functionality capable of identifying faces in the picture
frame and determining the optimal focus setting, high-speed
intelligent contrast, and improved video functionality, the DIGIC 4
defines the state of the art for imaging processors.

DIGIC DV for Digital Video Camcorders

Canons DIGIC image processor is also extensively used in the field
of digital video camcorders. Initial development work in this area
began in the 1990s, at the dawn of the digital video camcorder
era, and came to fruition in 1994 in the form of the DIC, a
camera-signal-processing LSI suitable for practical applications.
The technology developed for the DIC was then further advanced
and refined, culminating in the DIGIC DV, introduced in 2003,
which realized optimal image processing for both video and still
images. 2005 brought another evolution with the DIGIC DV II,
which supports high-definition video with faster processing speeds
and enhanced image quality.
Digital video camcorders differ from digital still cameras in
that their image sensor and image processor must operate on a
continuous basis. Although a relatively large amount of power
is normally required to keep high-definition image-processing
algorithms operating at high speeds, Canon has fully utilized
its expertise and know-how in the fields of image processing
and LSI design to realize a unique processor for digital video
camcorders that achieves both high image quality and low power
consumption.

DIGIC DV II Image Processor

DIGIC 4 Image Processor

13

Can o n C ore Tec hnologies

Electrophotography
Cameras in the right hand, business machines in the left. It was under this business diversification motto that Canon undertook the challenge of electrophotographic technology, a field
enmeshed in a veritable web of patents. Overcoming countless obstacles, Canons continued efforts
have helped redefine not only office environments, but print culture itself.
The Desire to Print Photographs on Plain Paper
The basic technology behind electrophotography was invented
by American physicist Chester F. Carlson in 1938. This was
subsequently put to practical use by the U.S.-based Haloid
Company (now Xerox Corporation) in the development of
the world's first plain-paper copier, introduced in 1959. Since
then, electrophotography has gone on to become an important
industrial technology employed in a variety of fields.
In the electrophotography process, an invisible electrical image,
or latent potential image, is created on photosensitive material
whose electrical properties change in the presence of light. This
image is then transferred to paper or other media after being made
visible through the application of a powder-like material. In the
early days of the technology, images were made visible through
other methods, including scattering friction-charged material,
applying liquid, or direct magnetic rendering. The early years of
electrophotographic technology were a highly competitive era
during which many different ideas were proposed and approaches
tested. Canon began its full-fledged efforts in the field in 1962,
and three years later, as conflicting technologies competed on a
global stage, the company invented its NP approach.
Canon's NP method differed from that of Xerox in that it did
not use selenium as the photosensitive material. Instead, it opted
for cadmium sulfide (CdS), a camera developer material already
in plentiful supply at the company. A hard insulating coating was
applied on top of the CdS to create a unique three-layer drum,
achieving much higher levels of durability compared with the
extremely delicate selenium-coated drums, which required regular
maintenance.

Challenging Convention
In 1979, Canon broke with convention and did away with the
concentration adjustment mechanism, essential for the twocomponent method that had been employed up to that time
and made use of a conductive toner and iron powder. In its
place, Canon announced the NP-200J, which employed a dry
mono-component jumping-development approach. This new
method vastly improved the sharpness of copied images by
accurately applying an insulating toner with a small particle size

Drum

Drum

Toner
Carrier

Blade
Magnet

Magnet

Comparison of the Dry Mono-component Jumping Method and

the Two-component Method

of several micrometers, or several millionths of a meter, onto the

photosensitive drum. A range of advances and improvements
enabled a simplified structure, including the implementation
of a new optical system incorporating a Selfoc lens, made
possible through the development of a new toner containing an
extremely small amount of external additive, and the application
of alternating current carrier voltage to the carrier during
development, an approach that defied conventional thinking. As
a result, it was possible to achieve an extremely compact, low-cost
design that enjoyed extraordinary popularity across the world.
Behind this success was Canon's development culture, which
wholeheartedly encouraged the tackling of any idea with potential,
no matter how challenging it may be.

All-in-one Cartridge Breakthrough

1982 gave way to a revolutionary breakthrough in the way
developers viewed copying machines. Previously, unavoidable
regular maintenance made photocopiers seem unsuitable for nonbusiness applications. However, the emergence of the all-in-one
toner cartridge concept, enabling the replacement of the toner,
drum, and all other major copier components in a single operation,
and the development of related technology opened the market for
home-use copiers. Canons PC-10/20 and more advanced Family
Copier models have had a major impact on electrophotographic
technology, as well as the companys business, from manufacturing
to marketing.

The Electrophotographic Printing Process

Network MFPs, laser beam printers, and multifunction production systems all employ the same printing principle.
1. Charging
The photosensitive drum
surface is negatively charged
with a static charge.

2. Exposure
Laser beams scan the
photosensitive drum to form
an image. Areas exposed to
the laser beams lose their
electrical charge.

3. Developing
Toner is brought in close
proximity to the drum and
affixes to non-charged areas.

4. Transfer
The photosensitive drum is
brought into contact with
the paper* and a positive
charge is applied from
behind, transferring the toner
onto the paper.

5. Fixing
Heat and pressure are
applied to fix the toner to
the paper.

* Most color models use a transfer system in which the toner first transfers from the photosensitive drum to an intermediate transfer belt, then from the belt to
the paper.

14

Interior of Canon's First Copying Machine, the NP-1100

Full Support for Networking

All-in-one Cartridges

From Analog to Digital, and on to Color

In the 1980s, as the world underwent a digital revolution, Canon's
electrophotography charted new territory in the fields of laser
and digital technology. In 1979, this development first bore fruit
with the LBP-10 laser beam printer. Based on this initial design,
the company went on to introduce the NP-9030, a printer that
combined a semiconductor laser with a photosensitive drum
incorporating amorphous silicon, a material capable of printing up
to one million copies with minimal degradation. In 1987, Canon
debuted the CLC-1, the worlds first digital full-color copying
machine. The CLC-1 was also the first copying machine with builtin temperature and humidity sensors, which it used to monitor
changes in the ambient environment over an eight-hour period
to control parameters such as charge and exposure to maintain
consistent color image quality.
Launched in 1989, the CLC500 added network functionality to
the basic CLC-1 model, expanding the world of full-color desktop
publishing. In 2000, Canon launched the CP2100, equipped with
ultrasonic motors and an individual drum for each of the CMYK
colors, marking the introduction of the Cleaner-less/Toner-reuse
System, which makes possible the recovery of left-over toner
for recycling, and the use of LED arrays. With these innovations,
Canon brought about a color revolution in business offices.

The year 2003 saw copying machine development at Canon enter

a totally new field of activity. System-on-a-chip (SoC) technology,
developed in Silicon Valley, was implemented in copying machines,
allowing them to take on the role of core network device. Now
featuring document management capabilities in addition to
printer, fax, and scanner functions, the copier had fully evolved
into a multifunction network printer.

Accepting the Challenge of Offset Printing

In today's print-on-demand world, it is possible to create
printout comparable in quality to that of offset printing with
the convenience of photocopying. The inherent potential of
electrophotographic technology continues to enter new fields
thanks to advancements in digital technology, integration with
PCs, and transformation through networking. Breakthroughs in
the fundamental concept of photocopiers could even see today's
huge imagePRESS C7000VP transformed into desktop technology
in no more than a decade.
The history of Canon's electrophotographic technologies has
been a story of repeated breakthroughs in thinking. The company's
desire to boldly tackle new concepts that others would not even
consider is the principal factor behind Canons success in the
pursuit of the highly convenient, beautiful printout that represents
a fundamental element of electrophotography.

Cross Section of Tandem Engine CP2100

15

Can o n C ore Tec hnologies

Inkjet Printing
FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) is a high-density print head technology
developed by Canon that enables the ejection of microscopic ink droplets as small as 1 picoliter
from 6,144 nozzles for uniform, accurate placement on paper. Many untold stories lie behind the
realization of this remarkable technology.
The Birth of a New Technology
In the mid-seventies, as a number of printer manufacturers
competed to develop inkjet printing using piezoelectric elements,
Canon was among the first to recognize the true potential of
inkjet technology, carrying out development activities designed
to maximize this potential. As Canon introduced the Y-02
monochrome desktop calculator printer in 1981, the company
continued to pursue a new, more highly advanced inkjet-printing
process.

inside each nozzle, the efficient transfer of heat eventually became

impossible. This phenomenon led to the coining of the term
kogationformed by attaching an English suffix to the Japanese
word koge, meaning "scorch" or "burn"an expression that
went on to gain international acceptance. While the problem was
thought by some to be insurmountable, the company, through
the development of new analytic methods and the carrying out
of massive amounts of repetitive testing, successfully found a
solution to the problem of kogation. In 1985, eight years after
submitting the original patent application, Canon launched its first
Bubble Jet printer, the BJ-80.

Revolutionary Nozzle Created by Light

A Soldering Iron and Syringe Led to the Development of Inkjet

Printing Technology

It was around this time that a fortuitous incident occurred. The

tip of a soldering iron came into contact with a syringe needle
containing ink, causing ink droplets to jet out from the tip of
the needle. Observing the phenomenon, one of the companys
engineers had a flash of inspiration that culminated in the
development of Canons unique inkjet technology, in which ink
droplets are ejected by heating elements. On October 3, 1977,
Canon submitted a basic patent application for the world's first
thermal inkjet (Bubble Jet) technology.

Challenging Common Sense

There were still, however, many hurdles that remained before this
technology could be successfully commercialized, one of which
was heater durability. Heaters located inside the microscopic
nozzles that eject the ink are formed using semiconductor
production technology. Even though moisture and electrolytes
are the bane of semiconductor elements, Canon challenged
conventional wisdom by bringing ink, which contains both of
these elements, into contact with the semiconductor heaters in
order to vaporize it. Persistent trial and error eventually led to
the development of a thin, high-performance insulation layer
that electrically insulated the heater and ink in a highly reliable
manner and was also capable of withstanding the powerful shock
resulting from the generation and expulsion of bubbles.
Thermal decomposition of ink components presented another
major problem. Heating the surface of the heater to several
hundred degrees in one-millionth of a second caused the ink to
break down and denature, resulting in the deposition of insoluble
sediment. With this process being repeated millions of times

16

More than twenty years have passed since the introduction of

the BJ-80. During that time, inkjet technology has evolved from
monochrome to color, from text-centric output to graphics, and
finally to photo-quality printout.
Achieving photo-quality printing demanded smaller ink droplets,
a goal that posed multiple challenges.
Of primary importance is the technology that makes possible
the high-precision creation of several thousand nozzles. To allow
microscopic ink droplets as small as one picoliter (one billionth
of a liter) to be ejected with high-precision placement, it is critical
that every single nozzle be positioned with an accuracy of 0.1 m.
Conventionally, the only way to create nozzles and the complex
internal channels to which they were connected was to bond
together minutely fabricated components. There are, however,
limits to the degree of accuracy with which several thousand
nozzles can be assembled using this approach.
Canon wasted no time in determining these limitations, and
in 1992 initiated ambitious efforts to devise a revolutionary new
production technology. Making full use of its original materials
technologies and photolithographic technologies employed in
the production of semiconductors, the company successfully
developed the world's first production method for highly accurate
nozzles that did not rely on the bonding of separate components.
Using light to create the nozzles, this groundbreaking technology
was perfected over a period of approximately seven years and
first incorporated in the BJ F8500, introduced in 1999. Offering
outstanding image quality, it marked a new chapter in the
development of inkjet printers. Today, this technology, known as
FINE, is featured in all of Canon's inkjet printer products.

Heater

Ink ejection opening

The FINE Nozzle

Nozzle

Ink Droplets being Ejected from a FINE Print Head (simulated image)

The Quest for Beautiful Print Quality

In the field of inkjet printing, the evolution of Canon's product
technology has proceeded hand in hand with ink technology.
Having successfully achieved plain-paper compatibility and fullcolor printing, inkjet printing technologies are now realizing
advances in response to a diverse range of needs. To do so, inks
must deliver stable droplet-ejection performance, ensure that the
microscopic nozzles do not become clogged, and clear safety
standards in compliance with regulations on hazardous substances
in each country and region worldwide. It also goes without saying
that inks must realize outstanding image quality and permanence
to enable long-term preservation of photos.
To fulfill these strict requirements, Canon has developed a
range of inks, including dye-based inks offering superior color
reproduction and glossiness, and pigment-based inks characterized
by excellent longevity. Canon dye-based inks were introduced
in 2005 as part of the ChromaLife100 system, supporting the
long-lasting beauty of photos. In 2008, the company developed
ChromaLife100+ for even more beautiful long-lasting photos,
enabling the creation of photo prints with a more than 300year album storage, approximately 30-year light fastness, and
approximately 20-year gas fastness.*
As for pigment-based inks, the company developed LUCIA to
meet professional demand for photographic printing that realizes
natural color reproduction. Canon also developed PgR technology,
which applies a coating of clear ink to the print surface before
printing with LUCIA inks, to prevent blurring when printing on
plain paper.
Additionally, the development of reactive ink technology,
which exploits the chemical reaction between dye and pigment
inks, achieves high-resolution print performance for large-format
printers.

From Mobile to Large-format Printing

Inkjet technology represents the only non-contact printing
technology for print media such as paper. Because it is a noncontact approach, it makes printing possible on a diverse range
of materials. In addition to mobile and home-use inkjet printer
products, Canon has expanded the application of this technology
to include large-format printers capable of accommodating print
media up to approximately 1.5 meters in width to facilitate the
creation of posters, architectural diagrams, and other large-scale
printout.
In terms of imaging performance, today's inkjet printers are
capable of producing levels of resolution that exceed those

discernable by the human eye. Nevertheless, Canon's engineers

continue to tackle formidable challenges in their quest to expand
the potential of inkjet printing. In addition to working to enhance
image quality, performance, and functionality, they are also striving
to push the technology into new fields of application.

* About album storage:

Album storage is based on the assumption that printout is stored in an archival
album with a plastic cover sheet and kept in the dark.
Criteria for estimation
The permanence presented above is estimated by using an accelerated dark
storage test (ISO 18924). Samples are kept in a controlled environment with
high temperature and 50% relative humidity. The test environment is designed
to accelerate color fading. The rate of decrease in optical density and rate of
yellow discoloration of the paper are measured. Finally, the results are extrapolated to the length of time when a printed image is kept in an environment of
23C at 50% relative humidity.
About light fastness:
Criteria for estimation
Estimated light fastness is made under the following test conditions.
Light source: White fluorescent light 70,000 lux; Temperature: 24C; Humidity:
60% RH; A 2-mm thick glass is placed on the sample with an air gap between
the glass and the sample during accelerated testing.
About gas fastness:
Criteria for estimation
Estimated gas fastness is made under the following test conditions:
Temperature (24C) and humidity (60% RH) are controlled in an environment
of mixed gases of O3, NOx and SOx. The ratio of the gases is typical to indoor
air composition (O3: NOx: SOx = 3:19:1) with 100 times concentration in order
to accelerate color fading.
Criteria for estimation of print longevity shown above
Estimates for image permanence are made using the Wilhelm Imaging
Research, Inc. endpoint criteria WIR Visually-Weighted Endpoint Criteria Set
v3.0 as follows: The point where monochromatic/reflective optical density
shows loss of 2035% (figure set respectively for each color, starting density of 1.0 and 0.6). The point where the difference in color balance of yellow,
magenta and cyan (each component in composite black) reaches 1218%.
Samples were printed with an optical density of 1.0 and 0.6 (each black, cyan,
magenta, yellow) using default printer driver setting for each media.
For the longevity figures appearing in this section, prints were produced
through a combination of Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy II print media, 2008
new ink tanks, and 2008 new FINE cartridges.

17

Can o n C ore Tec hnologies

Exposure Equipment
As noted in Moores Law, semiconductors, which constitute the very foundation of our highly information-based society, are advancing at a breathtaking rate. One of the major driving forces supporting
this growth is semiconductor exposure technology. In this field, Canon technology is consistently at
the leading edge of the industry, and the company is actively developing the next generation of these
technologies.
Also undergoing growth at a rapid pace are wide-screen LCD televisions. Canon's LCD panel
exposure technologies and products address the demand for larger screens, lower cost, and higher
throughput in the production arena.
Japan's First Semiconductor Exposure Tool

Chasing Moores Law

Semiconductor integrated circuits are created by taking a circuit

pattern drawn on a photomask and optically transferring it onto
a wafer. Canon's presence in this field dates back to 1965, when
the company began designing a super high-resolution lens for
photomask manufacturing. In 1970, the company introduced the
lens in the PPC-1, a 1:1 projection mask aligner for 2-inch wafers
that marked the first semiconductor exposure tool to be produced
in Japan. However, as the system employed a manual alignment
process and 3-inch wafers were to be introduced, this approach
advanced no further.

Since 1984, light-source wavelengths have been continually

reduced in order to satisfy the need for narrower circuit line
widths of semiconductor devices. These wavelengths transitioned
from the 436 nm (1 nm = one billionth of a meter) of the mercury
lamp g-line, to the 365 nm of the lamp's i-line, the 248 nm of the
krypton fluoride laser (KrF laser), and the 193 nm of the argon
fluoride laser (ArF laser). Optical systems also underwent change.
Because conventional glass could not provide necessary levels of
transparency and uniformity, new glass materials were developed
to suit light sources, facilitating further advances in resolution. As
would be expected, masks (reticles) and stage control of wafers
also became highly precise, and demand grew for greater levels of
alignment accuracy.
Canon introduced its first stepper (reduction projection
exposure tool) in 1984 with the FPA-1500FA, which used the
g-line as its light
source, while the FPA2000i1 that followed
in 1990 utilized the
i-line. The company's
F PA - 3 0 0 0 E X 3 a n d
FPA-3000EX4 steppers,
launched in 1996 and
1997, respectively,
both employed a KrF
excimer pulsed laser
with a wavelength of
FPA-1500FA
248 nm.

PPC-1: Japans First Semiconductor Exposure Tool

Proximity Mask Aligner

In 1974, Canon introduced the PLA-300F, a proximity mask aligner
in which the mask and wafer were separated by 10 to 20 m
(1 m = one millionth of a meter) and exposure was performed
using collimated light. This method, capable of processing
line widths of approximately 4 m, facilitated high levels of
productivity through its automatic wafer feed capability for wafer
sizes up to 3 inches.
The company subsequently launched the world's first mask
aligner with a laser-based automatic alignment system, the PLA500FA, in 1977. The machine became a best seller, enabling
Canon to make a name for itself, both at home and abroad, as a
producer of semiconductor exposure equipment a mere decade
after entering the field.

Mirror Projection Mask Aligner

In 1979, Canon introduced the MPA-500FA, which used the mirror
projection method to achieve high-resolution 2-m line-width
circuits on wafers up to 5 inches. Furthermore, the MPA-600FA,
released in 1985, provided additional support for 6-inch wafers.
This model contributed greatly to the mass production of 64 to
256 KB DRAM during the 1980s. As line widths on semiconductor
devices became ever finer, the mirror projection method was put
to use in LCD panel exposure equipment.

18

Birth of the Scanning Stepper

In 1997, Canon developed exposure technology capable of the
synchronized scanning of the reticle and wafer. Launching this
technology as a key feature of the FPA-4000ES1, the company
ushered in a new era of dynamic exposure. The FPA-5000ES2,
introduced in 1998, delivered the world's highest productivity
levels with faster, more accurate reticle and wafer stages. Also
providing 300-mm (12-inch) wafer capability, the model went
on to become a renowned
scanning stepper.
Further evolution of
exposure equipment
continued by improving
the equipment platform,
represented by the arrival
of the FPA-6000 series in
2003, and FPA-7000 series
in 2007.
FPA-5000ES2

Featuring the Two-Wafer Stage System, the FPA-7000 series

delivered dramatic increases in productivity. In addition, the
systems feature a host of cutting edge technologies, including
a polarized illumination system and an immersion exposure
technology wherein the gap between the lens and wafer is filled
with ultra-pure water to realize a projection lens system with
an increased numerical aperture. Furthermore, the number of
controlled axes has also increased to over 100, and the digital
signal processor (DSP) used to perform this control is capable of
processing six billion floating point operations per second (six
gigaflops). Canon remains focused on the future, researching

Conceptual Illustration of the FPA-7000 Series Platform

Supporting Increasing Demand for Larger Screens

In 1986, when mobile color LCD TVs first appeared on the market,
Canon introduced the MPA-1500, a 1:1 mirror projection aligner
capable of not only the batch exposure of 7-inch panels but also
stitching exposure of 15-inch panels by four-photo composition.
This system realized a high resolving power of between 1.5
and 3 m, allowing for larger screen sizes and higher levels of
productivity. The MPA-1500 became the de-facto standard for
subsequent Canon LCD panel exposure tools.

liquids with a high refractive index and working to support a

new process technology known as double patterning as part of
ongoing developments to push the wavelength boundary back
even further.

The Challenge of Next-Generation Technologies

Canon has successfully developed ultra-precise, multi-layer
mirror reflection systems, device vacuum processes, and other
basic fundamental technologies for extreme ultraviolet (EUV)
lithography, considered to be the next generation in exposure
technology. Using a small field exposure tool (SFET), the company
has also succeeded in exposing line widths of 26 nm.

Patterns Created through EUV Exposure (Source: New Energy and

Industrial Technology Development Organization)

laser interferometers are used to control position and rotation.

In addition, the mask and substrate stages are simultaneously
scanned individually in order to achieve high-precision
synchronized control that reduces positional deviation on a submicrometer level.
Although a high-precision optical tool, the MPAsp-H700 weighs
100 tons. At the same time, the level of precision required extends
to the realm of the nanometer, a level invisible to the naked
eye. Such massive-scale precision represents the challenge that
Canon's exposure technology development efforts must meet to
support the ever-evolving IT industry.

MPA-1500

Canon's current MPAsp-H700 is capable of the simultaneous

exposure of six 55-inch wide-screen LCD panels (or three 57-inch
panels). This high-performance system can process 323 panels per
hour, keeping the company one step ahead of market needs.
The MPAsp-H700 enables the full-field exposure of glass
substrates measuring 2,200 x 2,500 mm, a size unmatched
anywhere in the world (as of October 2008). The 0.7 mm-thick
substrates are secured through vacuum suction on a stage
weighing approximately four tons, which is then driven by
linear motors at a high speed of 750 mm per second while

LCD Exposure Equipment for Eighth-Generation Glass Substrates

19

Can o n C ore Tec hnologies

Displays
Canons involvement in a variety of display technologies represents the companys vision for the
future, responding to continually diversifying demands in the field of display technology while aiming
to advance into the new frontier of cross-media imaging.

Third-Generation AISYS

Projectors That Deliver Exceptional Images Quality

In 2004, Canon introduced a new LCD projector technology.
At the time, many conventional projectors used transmissive
liquid crystal, which produced a lattice-like grid pattern due to
the drive elements between the pixels. In line with its dedication
to picture quality, Canon made use of Liquid Crystal On Silicon
(LCOS) reflective LCD panels, which seamlessly blend individual
pixels together to produce an image.
Although LCOS offered excellent contrast performance, realizing
sufficient brightness proved problematic. Canon engineers thus
took on the challenge of achieving both contrast along with
brightness. This led to the creation of the AISYS optical system,
which makes use of the vertical and horizontal components of
light from the light source used to illuminate the LCOS panel.
Following exhaustive trial and error in fundamentally reconfiguring
the relationship between polarized light and optical behavior,
engineers successfully enhanced contrast by converting the
horizontal component of the light that enters the LCOS panel into
parallel beams, and boosted brightness by converging the vertical
component. At the same time, new color separation/synthesis
and optical projection systems were developed, making possible
the realization of compact LCD projectors capable of delivering
bright images with high levels of contrast and excellent gradation
characteristics.
In 2006, having achieved both high levels of brightness and
contrast, Canon developed the second-generation of AISYS,
which targeted improved illumination efficiency and high-grade
picture brightness. Canon engineers took the cylindrical lens
array, which had been used only for the horizontal component
in first-generation products, and also applied it to the vertical
component. They streamlined optical elements by vertically
arranging the prisms of the color separation/synthesis system to

Screen
Projection lens

LCOS (B)

LCOS (R)

LCOS (G)
Lamp

PBS

Polarization separation surface

Third-Generation AISYS Color Separation/Synthesis System

20

enhance brightness, and by using a hybrid beam combiner (HBC)

approach that has both dichroic functionality and a polarization
beam splitter (PBS).
While the second generation of AISYS technology successfully
added high-grade brightness to the excellent brightness and
contrast performance that had already been achieved, it required a
highly complex structure. The quest for a simpler, third-generation
AISYS got underway in 2008 with an eye to significantly reducing
costs.
Instead of the pair of cylindrical lens arrays that had attracted
attention in the second-generation AISYS, the third generation
featured an asymmetric fly-eye lens array immediately after the
lamp that integrated horizontal and vertical cylindrical lenses,
which enabled a significant reduction in the total number of
individual lenses required for the system. It thus became possible
to enhance brightness while reducing size and cost without
compromising high contrast. In addition, by adopting a lamp
with superior color-rendering performance and taking the sensory
characteristics of the human eye into account, Canon was able to
realize even more faithful color-reproduction performance.
The third generation of AISYS technology marked the beginning
of Canon's in-house development of LCOS panels. As a result,
Canon now develops all key projector parts, including AISYS,
projection lenses, LCOS, and driver ICs.

Towards the Startup of a New Business

The Challenge of Flat-Screen SEDs
Boasting the same high-speed motion traceability and high
contrast as CRT (cathode ray tube) displays but with lower energy
consumption and superior rendering performance with high
resolution and low image distortion, the SED (Surface-conduction
Electron-emitter Display) represents the ideal display. Canon is
moving forward with the development of this technology, a highly
anticipated type of flat-screen display.
In SEDs, an individual electron emitter, which fulfills the role
served by the electron gun in CRT systems, is provided for each
pixel on the display. In these electron emitters, the heart of the
SED, voltage is applied across extremely small gaps of only a few
nanometers formed between two electrodes, resulting in a release
of electrons from one side. Some of these electrons are accelerated
by an additional voltage applied between the glass substrates,
resulting in luminescence when the accelerated electrons strike
the phosphor coating of the opposing substrate.
Development efforts targeting advances in this display
technology are underway, from analysis and investigation of the

nano-level electron emitters to the associated material, drive, and

production technologies.
Enlarged view

Luminescence
Color lter
Phosphor

Black matrix
Glass substrate

Electrode

Electron beams

Metal back lm
Electron emitter
Va

Field emission

Scattering

Va

Several nm
Nanogap

Glass substrate
Vf

SED Electron Emission

Concentration of Group Abilities and OLEDs
While LCDs require a backlight, the organic light emitting diode
(OLED) is capable of emitting its own light. In addition, OLEDs
offer other highly desirable characteristics supporting outstanding
picture quality as they consume low power, have a thin and
lightweight structure, realize optimal color reproducibility, and
offer high levels of contrast, video responsiveness, and peak
intensity in addition to being view-angle free.
An OLED comprises an electron (-) transport layer, an organic
electro-luminescence layer, and a hole (+) transport layer situated
between an anode and a cathode. When voltage is applied, the
organic material in the electro-luminescence layer is excited
and releases energy in the form of light when it returns to its
unexcited state. Since the 1970s, Canon has used a conductive
material known as an organic photo conductor (OPC) for its
photosensitive drums employed in electrophotographic processes,
and these material technologies can now be put to use in the
OLED's electron and hole transport layer. In addition, the company
is making full use of organic material technologies honed over the
years, carrying out research into a host of light-emitting and other
materials that support such emission, and developing organic
light-emitting materials with extremely high levels of color purity
and energy efficiency.
In terms of production engineering, Canon is strengthening
its technical partnership with Canon Group companies Canon
Anelva and Tokki. Both of these affiliates have developed vacuum
processing technologies that can be applied to carry out organic
film deposition, sealing for protection of the organic layer, and
all steps in between in a high-grade vacuum environment.
Furthermore, through joint development with Hitachi Displays,
the company is making a vigorous push to commercialize OLED
display products with high levels of efficiency, color purity, and
longevity.
Organic photosensor

TFTs for LCDs and OLEDs

Among the thin film transistor (TFT) semiconductor materials used
in pixel circuits of LCDs and OLEDs are polycrystalline silicon (polySi) and amorphous silicon (a-Si).
In addition to requiring high temperatures for production,
both materials suffer several disadvantages. For example, a-Si
TFTs have a slow response speed, while poly-Si TFTs, despite their
relatively higher response speed, cannot easily be adapted for
large screens. The biggest disadvantage of a-Si TFTs is that their
characteristics change when a current is applied over long periods
of time. Although this does not cause serious problems with
LCDs, which only use TFTs for switching purposes and have short
total energization times, it represents a significant shortcoming
for technologies like OLEDs, in which the electric current flows
continuously.
Recently, transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor TFTs
have become the focus of considerable attention in this field.
In 2004 it was discovered that amorphous oxides of metals
such as indium and zinc had properties highly suited for use as
semiconductors. Employing a different operating principle, these
materials provide response speeds that are ten times faster than
those realized by conventional amorphous silicon and can be
driven using small electrical charges. They also show potential in
terms of high reliability and manufacturability.
Accepting the challenge of these completely new, highly
promising elements, Canon has initiated materials research
projects with the aim of putting them to practical use in
semiconductor devices. This effort has already delivered results
with the discovery that adding an appropriate amount of gallium
yields appropriate electron transfer rates and stability.
While much is still unknown about amorphous oxide
semiconductors, it is clear that they are highly stable, offer
high basic functionality as transistors, and can be utilized in
the production of large screens. Because these materials do
away with the high-temperature processes (350-450C) required
for silicon semiconductors, production can be carried out at
room temperature, making possible the fabrication of circuits
on extremely thin plastic that could even permit bending. These
breakthroughs bring within the realm of possibility displays that
could adhere to a wall instead of hanging on it, or monitors that
could be rolled up for storage.

OLED

Protective lm

Electron
conductive layer

CT

Photoelectric
conversion layer

CG
AI
Light converted
into a charge

Cathode
Electron
transport layer
Emission layer
Electron-hole
transport layer
Anode

Charge converted
into light

Conceptual Comparison of Organic Photosensor and OLED

21

Advanced Technologies for Compact Design and High Image Quality

Compact Digital Cameras

Canons compact digital cameras embody the advanced camera technologies Canon has developed over the
years and continue to receive enthusiastic reviews from users. Advanced optical technology, camera control
technology, and electronic device technology densely mounted in a small body design make for compact
cameras that deliver high performance and high image quality.
Overview of Compact Digital Cameras
A compact digital camera is a small camera that uses an image sensor to convert
image data into digital signals for storage on a memory card.

Image Sensor
A CCD (charged-coupled device)
employing a primary color filter for
superior color reproduction

Zoom Lever/Shutter Button

Memory Card
Uses a high-speed, high-capacity SD Card/
MultiMediaCard to record image data

Imaging Processor
Processes high-resolution images at high speeds
DIGIC 4
Face/Motion Detection Technology
X iSAPS Technology
X
X

Lens Unit
The ultra-compact lens unit incorporates
a UA lens element and a lens-shift Image
Stabilizer (IS)

Image Stabilization and 5x Optical Zoom in a Slim Camera Body

An Ultra-Small Lens Unit with a Lens-Shift Image Stabilizer
*1 UA lens (Ultra-high
refractive index Aspherical
lens)
A glass-molded (GMo)
aspherical lens with an ultrahigh refractive index.
*2 Lens-shift type Image
Stabilizer (IS)
A lens-shift type image stabilizer has the advantage of
providing a wider adjustment
scope with almost no deterioration in image quality.
*3 Ceramic ball support
system
Ceramic balls are used as the
bearings for the shifting lens.
Ceramic material is relatively
unaffected by magnetic fields,
less prone to heat deformation than metal, and a lowfriction material, therefore
providing high levels of device
support. Unlike dual-axis
guide-bar systems, no metal
springs are used, facilitating
smooth, stable operation.

22

Canons Digital ELPH (Digital IXUS) camera series provides

35x optical zoom capability in a slim camera body. The
lens units in these cameras use one or two of Canons
specially developed UA lens*1 elements and realize the
industrys top class in terms of ultra-compact size.
This revolutionary lens unit also incorporates Canons
unique lens-shift type Image Stabilizer (IS)*2 technology
for improved ease of use. IS is the product of the optical
stabilizer technology that Canon began developing in the
1980s and had originally been used in single-lens reflex
cameras. IS employs an ultra-compact gyro sensor to
detect camera shake, analyzes the amount of movement,
and shifts the lens units corrective optical lens in parallel

to the image sensor to compensate for the bending of

light rays from the subject relative to the optical axis. The
drive mechanism that supports and moves the corrective
optical lens employs a ceramic ball support system,*3 which
works in concert with a high-precision control circuit
to provide smooth, precise movement and outstanding
responsiveness.
By integrating the IS with Motion Detection Technology
( P.23) and high-sensitivity response, Canon compact
digital cameras enable the easy capturing of sharp blurfree images.

UA lens

Ceramic material offers better

support than metal because it is less
subject to thermal deformation and
creates less friction.

Digital ELPH Lens Unit

Ceramic Ball Support System for Shifting Lens

Higher Speed and Further Improved Processing Capabilities

DIGIC 4

Input

DIGIC 4 achieves further improvements in image processing speed. It incorporates new noise reduction technology and high-speed shadow correction, along with
improved video functionality, Face Detection technology,
and Motion Detection technology. The latest version of the
Canon image processor delivers substantially improved *5 DIGIC 4
performance and functionality.
DIGIC 4 is the latest version

of Canons DIGIC imaging

processor, which is used in
Canons Digital ELPH/IXUS,
PowerShot, and EOS-series
cameras. A high-performance
image processor with highend processing functions,
DIGIC is customized to provide optimal performance in
every individual camera model
in which it is used.

DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor

Output

Light entering a digital camera through its lens is converted into electric signals by a CCD image sensor. From
these signals the digital image processor generates image
data with natural color reproduction, rich gradation, and
low noise.
DIGIC, Canons digital camera image processor,*4 is
a high-performance LSI chip ( P.56) that uses unique
architecture to achieve constant high-speed processing.
Using algorithms developed by Canon, DIGIC makes
possible the high-speed processing of such tasks as reducing false colors and moir patterns, and canceling noise
during long exposures. It also reduces noise for high-speed
image capture and provides higher resolution signal output to the LCD monitor. The processing and memory components are configured in a layered structure to conserve
space.

*4 Image processor
A micro-computer that integrates a CPU, memory to
house processing programs, a
timer function, and input/output onto a single integrated
circuit.

*5

Exposure

Detecting Faces, Optimizing Settings and Minimizing Camera Shake

Face and Motion Detection Technology

Optical / Medical

These new technologies have been realized by fusDIGIC 4 incorporates Face Detection technology, which can
ing DIGICs high-speed computing performance with the
recognize human faces in a picture and adjust such facwealth of Canon camera technologies incorporated in the
tors as focus and exposure accordingly, along with Motion
image processing algorithms.
Detection technology, which detects subject movement
and ensures optimal sensitivity, shutter speed, and aperture settings.
With Face Detection, DIGICs high-speed response
makes possible the rapid detection of a large number of
different faces (up to 35 faces in a frame, of
Without Face Detection
With Face Detection
which up to 9 can be tracked). By combining
the Face Detection algorithm with iSAPS technology, DIGIC 4 is able to determine the main
subject of the photo immediately.
Motion Capture technology enables DIGIC
to detect whether the subject is moving, while
iSAPS determines the optimal shooting settings to reduce subject blur.

Fundamental

Face Detection Technology

Realizing High-Speed, High-Precision Control

*6 iSAPS high-speed AF
iSAPS AF predicts the focus
setting based on previously
shot scenes, reducing the time
required for focusing.

High

Shooting
frequency

Low
Bright

Near

Brightness

Distance to subject
Far

Dark

Conceptualization of Photographic Space

Distribution of subject positions based on a given focal length

*7 iSAPS intelligent AE/

AWB
iSAPS AE/AWB applies optimized algorithms for each
shot according to the shooting mode selected by the
user, which minimizes mistakes thanks to more precise
exposure and white balance
matched to the selected
shooting mode and surrounding environment.

Future

Over many years of camera development, Canon has

gathered a vast amount of photographic data, creating a
database with extensive statistical analyses of the correlations between focal length or zoom position, surrounding
brightness, and subject-to-camera distance.
Making use of this Photographic Space database,
Canon developed iSAPS (intelligent Scene Analysis based
on Photographic Space) technology, which predicts the
scene a user is about to photograph and promptly selects
the optimal settings for key functions. This technology
combines shooting parameters from recently taken shots
with the cameras built-in data to estimate the distance
between the camera and the subject, improve AF (Auto
Focus)*6 precision and speed, and enable optimal AE (Auto
Exposure) and AWB (Auto White Balance) performance.*7

Environmental

iSAPS Technology

23

Overcoming Challenges to Achieve Rich Expressive Capabilities

SLR Cameras
Originally founded as a camera manufacturer, Canon has introduced a series of innovative SLR camera products in its continuing pursuit of the ideal single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. The high-quality images realized by
Canons proprietary and world-renowned lenses, CMOS sensors, and imaging processors are the result of the
companys efforts in optical and cutting-edge digital imaging technology.
Pentaprism

Overview of SLR Cameras

Converts the image on the focusing

screen to an upright image

Digital SLR cameras feature an interchangeable lens system and

use an image sensor that converts light into electrical signals to
record images.

Focusing Screen
Metering Sensor

The image of the subject to be photographed is displayed on this screen

63-zone metering sensor

optimized for Area AF

Image Sensor
Utilizes Canons proprietary CMOS
sensor

Shutter Release Switch

Full-Frame CMOS Sensor

CMOS Sensor Technology
(P.58)

Memory Card

Main Mirror

Shutter

Flips up during exposure to open a path for

light to reach the image sensor

Opens during exposure to allow

light to reach the image sensor

Secondary Image-Formation
Lens

Submirror
Elliptical mirror that directs light
from the lens to the AF distancemeasuring optics

Two pairs of integrated aspherical lenses

guide the image of the subject to the AF
sensor

Imaging Processor

Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit

Processes the signals read from the image

sensor at high speeds and generates image
data
X

EOS Integrated Cleaning System

Area AF Sensor

DIGIC 4 (P.23)

New Area AF Technology

High-Speed Continuous Shooting and Predictive AF

New Area Autofocus

*1 AF system with 19
selectable points plus 26
Assist AF Points
This Area AF Sensor, featured
in Canons high-end EOS-1D
Mark III/EOS-1Ds Mark III
digital SLR cameras, enables
continuous shooting with
the predictive AI servo AF at
speeds up to approximately
10 fps.
*2 High-speed new Area
AF sensor
Combines high speed with an
improved sensitivity range of
-1 to 18 EV (room temperature, ISO 100), enabling AF
shooting even in dark conditions.

24

The autofocus (AF) technology of Canons EOS series of

SLR cameras debuted in 1987, making an impact on the
market for its speed and ease of use. Since that time,
Canon has continued to develop and evolve AF technology
into a digital camera legacy: from its initial AF with a single
focus point at the center of the viewfinder to 3-point AF in
1990, 5-point AF in 1992, and 45-point AF in 1998.
Canons new Area AF features 19 Cross-Type and 26
Assist AF Points.*1 While the system includes the same
number of 45 focusing points as in conventional Area
AF, all 19 selectable points are high-precision cross-type
points, in which vertical and horizontal line components
of the subject are simultaneously detected by cruciform
distance measurement.
Vertical lines are detected with professional-class specifications, conforming to the large-diameter lens group of
f/2.84 distance-measuring light flux. For horizontal line
detection, the 26 assist points conform to f/5.6 light flux,
effectively assisting the focusing points selected by the
photographer and ready at all times to capture subjects
adjacent to selected focusing points. This greatly contributes to the faster capture of moving subjects, particularly
when shooting continuously with the predictive AI Servo AF
at the high speed of approximately 10 frames per second.

This technology was realized through Canons Area AF

precision optical system and unique high-sensitivity New
Area AF sensor,*2 along with the development of sophisticated AF computation algorithms.

: Cross-type points (19)

: Assist points (26)

Array of Area AF Focusing Points

19 selectable cross-type points (1 central point plus 18 additional
points) together with 26 assist points yield a 45-point Area AF system
to detect the subject, enabling instantaneous AF shooting even with
fast-moving, unpredictable scenes

Area AF Sensor

High-Resolution, High-Sensitivity, Low-Noise Image Sensors

Full-Frame CMOS Sensors
rated horizontally and vertically by about one pixel to cut
the high-spatial-frequency components responsible for
interference. Additionally, this low-pass filter features a
hybrid structure that incorporates an infrared-cut filter to
suppress red-ghosting and color fogging caused by reflections from the surface of the CMOS sensor.
Infrared absorption glass

CMOS sensor
Low-pass filter
Separates the image data horizontally

Structure of the Hybrid Infrared-Cut Low-Pass Filter

Full-Frame CMOS Sensor (Full Scale)

Sealant
Infrared
absorption
glass
CMOS sensor
Low-pass lter

Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit

Fundamental

Piezoelectric device
Retainer

Optical / Medical

Hybrid Infrared-Cut Low-Pass Filters

False colors and color moir patterns are unavoidable in
digital images that are captured by image sensors alone.
These artifacts are caused by interference when the spatial
frequency of the subject is close to the pixel pitches of the
image sensor. The optical low-pass filter, located directly in
front of the CMOS sensor, is designed to minimize these
problems. Canon developed a new three-layered optical low-pass filter comprising a phase plate sandwiched
between two single-crystal substrates. The image is sepa-

EOS Integrated Cleaning System*4

The EOS Integrated Cleaning System is a comprehensive
processing system to minimize sensor dust that includes
a self-cleaning sensor unit and software. The system was
developed based on the concept of preventing dust generation, adherence, and retention.

Exposure

Phase plate
Converts linear polarization to circular
polarization
Low-pass filter
Separates the image data vertically

*4 EOS Integrated Cleaning

System
The EOS Integrated Cleaning
System comprises the following measures:
(1) Prevents dust formation:
Thoroughly checks mechanisms and component
materials to prevent dust
from forming inside the
camera
(2) Suppresses adherence of
dust to image sensor:
Employs an anti-static
mechanism
(3) Shakes off dust with ultrasonic vibrations:
The Self-Cleaning Sensor
Unit, which is integrated
with the low-pass filter
in the front of the CMOS
sensor, uses a piezoelectric device to shake off
dust with ultrasonic vibrations
(4) Automatically processes
dust removal using software and/or Dust Delete
Data acquisition/addition:
Dust particles are added
to the image as mapped
information, which is processed by the automatic
Dust Delete function using
the bundled Digital Photo
Professional software (Ver.
3.2 and up)

Output

Dichroic mirror
Reects infrared rays

Input

The CMOS sensor ( P.58) is one of the most important

components of a digital SLR camera. Canon develops and
produces CMOS sensors using its own semiconductor
exposure technology. Canon currently uses three different
sizes of CMOS sensor: 35mm full-frame, APS-H, and APS-C.
All Canon CMOS sensors realize high-resolution performance: up to 21.1 million pixels for 35mm full-frame sensors,*3 10.1 million pixels for APS-H type, and 15.1 million
pixels for APS-C. Featuring eight-channel signal reading
and supported by the DIGIC imaging processor, CMOS
sensors are capable of achieving high-speed continuous
shooting of approximately 10 frames per second, facilitating new levels of photographic expression that far surpass
those of film cameras.

*3 35mm full-frame CMOS

sensors (36 24 mm)
The evolution of Canons FullFrame CMOS Sensors:
EOS-1Ds (2002)
EOS-1Ds Mark II (2004)
EOS 5D (2005)
EOS-1Ds Mark III (2007)
EOS 5D Mark II (2008)

Realizing Smaller, Lighter Telephoto Lenses

DO Lens

(1) Refractive lens

Blue, green, red
Combination of (1) and (2)
Chromatic
aberration

Canon incorporated the lens into its EF400mm f/4 DO

IS USM interchangeable lens for SLR cameras, significantly
reducing the size and weight of telephoto lenses while
maintaining their high imaging performance. Next, the
company conducted an even more thorough study of the
materials and shape of the diffraction gratings, developing
a three-layer DO lens that utilizes three diffractive optical
elements. Incorporating the three-layer DO lens into the
EF70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM zoom lens, Canon also
successfully reduced the size of telephoto zoom lenses.
Three-layer DO lens
Diffraction grating

Two-layer DO lens
Diffraction grating

Red, green, blue

Cancels out chromatic aberration
Reverse chromatic
aberration

Correcting Chromatic Aberrations with a DO Lens

Glass lenses

Structure of DO Lens

Glass lenses

*5 Chromatic aberration
One factor that can negatively affect image quality is
color blur, or chromatic aberration, caused by wavelengthinduced fluctuations in the
refractive index of light passing through a lens. Ordinarily,
this problem is corrected by
using multiple convex and
concave lenses in combination.

Future

(2) DO lens

Environmental

Canon developed the worlds first Diffractive Optics (DO)

lens to eliminate chromatic aberrations,*5 which occur in
opposite directions in diffractive and refractive optical elements. The unique two-layer DO lens takes advantage of
this phenomenon, and is formed by placing two precise
diffraction gratings a few micrometers*6 apart on the surface of glass lenses to create a multi-layer structure.

*6 Micrometer (m)
1 m = one millionth of a
meter, or 0.001 mm

25

Opening Up the High-Image-Quality World of HD Video

Digital Video Camcorders

Video camcorders combine video images and audio and therefore require advanced digital imaging technology that differs from that used in photography. Camcorders must process large volumes of data rapidly while
also being portable, realizing a compact size and consuming low energy. Applying a range of its advanced
technologies, Canon has developed full HD video camcorders to meet the needs of the high-definition era.
Image Sensor

Overview of Digital Video Camcorders

Full HD CMOS Sensor developed in-house for

video applications

A digital video camcorder uses an image sensor that converts light into
electrical signals to record video and audio.

Full HD CMOS Sensor

Codec Engine
Optical Image Stabilizer
(Lens-Shift Type)

Dedicated processor designed to

compress or decompress video images
and audio according to the recording
medium

Designed to counteract the effects of camera

shake without sacrificing image quality
HD Video Lens with Image Stabilization
and AF Function

HD Video Lens
An optical zoom lens incorporating aspherical glass lens elements. Uses a gradient
ND filter and, in some high-end models, an
Ultra High Refractive Index Aspherical Lens
(UA Lens)
HD Video Lens with Image Stabilization
and AF Function

Image Processor

External AF Sensor

Converts electric signals sent from the

image sensor into video images

Calculates the distance to the subject

HD Video Lens with Image Stabilization
and AF Function

DIGIC DV II

Image Processor for HD Digital Video Processing

DIGIC DV ll

*1 Video noise
Random noise is more
noticeable in video than in
still images and occurs more
frequently when shooting in
dark conditions. Remedying
noise in video camcorders
requires a different approach
than still cameras.

DIGIC DV is Canons image processor for digital video processing. DIGIC DV II represents the evolution of the DIGIC
DV processor, supporting the realization of high-imagequality full HD video.
With signal processing for digital video camcorders,
reducing noise*1 is important, particularly in flat and dark
areas. Camcorders must be able to accommodate highspeed video capture while also realizing low power consumption.
Canons proprietary video image processing algorithms
reduce noise and enable the recording of beautiful images
with vivid color reproduction and rich gradation.

Increased processing speeds not only enable high-quality HD image recording and playback, but also support a
variety of features such as simultaneous video and stillimage capture and high-speed continuous shooting.

DIGIC DV II Image Processor

Image Processing for Video Camcorders

Video camcorders incorporate a camera function, which converts electric signals of images of the subject into video, and a recorder function, which
records and plays back the images from the recording media. Every stage of image processing is supported by proprietary Canon technologies.
Camera Function

26

Recorder Function

Lens

Image sensor

Image formation

Conversion
into electric signals

Image processor

HD codec engine

Recording media

Image generation

Compression/
Decompression

Recording/Playback

Supporting High-Definition Images

HD Video Lenses with Image Stabilization and AF Function
Input

Spherical lens

Aspherical lens

With camera shake

With optical stabilization following

lens shift

Output

Blur
Image sensor
Correction lens

Shift

Focal Point Alignment with an Aspherical Lens and LensShift Image Stabilization

Computing the distance, adjusting the lens

Bringing the subject into focus

Exposure

Full HD-compatible lenses require a high level of resolving

power. Canon utilizes glass aspherical lens elements*2 in
the lens system, optimizing the position and shape of the
elements to achieve the best possible lens configuration
for HD video images.
Also, as zoom magnification increases, the effects of
camera shake become more pronounced. To counteract
this problem Canon employed optical lens-shift image
stabilization, which detects a wide range of vibrations,
from low to high frequencies, and corrects accordingly. This
image stabilizing technology, based on Canons proprietary
lens-shift image stabilizing system, shifts the correcting
lens element in parallel to the image plane to correct the
optical axis in response to image shake.
When shooting HD video, fast and accurate focus tracking is necessary because out-of-focus images are easily
noticed. Accordingly, Canon's Instant AF first employs an
external AF sensor to compute distance to the subject and
swiftly adjust the lens. Next, the CMOS sensor accurately
focuses the image that passes through the lens. The use
of two sensors to focus on the subject enables quick and
accurate focusing performance.

Image sensor
Subject



External AF sensor

Optical / Medical

Overview of Instant AF

*2 Aspherical lens
A lens with a free-curved
surface that is not spherical.
While it is difficult for a single
spherical lens to converge
light sharply at a single point,
it is possible with an aspherical lens.

Supporting Full HD with High Speed and Low Power Consumption

Full High-Definition (HD) CMOS Sensors

Fundamental

While the sizes of CMOS sensors utilized in Canon digital

SLR cameras ( P.25) correspond to film sizes, compactbody digital video camcorders required a reduced-size
CMOS sensor with a smaller surface area. The sensor also
had to support the reading and recording of high-definition 1920 1080 pixel resolution (a total of approximately 2.07 million pixels), creating the need to densely mount
the pixels on the sensor to realize outstanding HD-quality
images.
Adapting the CMOS sensor technology utilized in its
digital SLR cameras, Canon succeeded in developing a
full HD*3 CMOS sensor for video camcorders. The sensor
features a 1/3.2-inch image area with approximately 2
million pixels when shooting video, and approximately 3
million when capturing still images. This high-density sensor was realized through pixel miniaturization technology.
( P.59)
In addition to offering high-speed reading of images in
full HD with low power consumption, the CMOS sensor
also utilizes a primary color filter featuring comprehensive
color information that achieves faithful color reproduction
while minimizing false colors and moir patterns.

Environmental
Future

HD Video Camcorder CMOS Sensor

*3 Full HD (compliant)
Digital television signals may
be standard-definition (SDTV)
with 525 scan lines, the
same as analog television, or
high-definition (HDTV), with
720 or 1,080 scan lines. Full
HD refers to 1,080 scan line
systems, which provide the
highest level of resolution.
With HDTV1080i, the effective number of pixels is 1,920
1,080, with 1,440 1,080
pixels per frame. A digital
video camcorder that supports Full HD thus realizes the
same level of imaging performance as high-definition TV.

27

High-precision Scanning Technology Expanding the Range of Digital Data Use

Scanners
Canon has combined many of its advanced optical, electronics, and software technologies to create scanners
that enable the conversion of camera film, photo prints, and text documents into high-grade digital data.
Canon has worked to develop high-precision scanning technology not only for stand-alone scanners but also
for the scanning function of copying machines.
Overview of Scanners
A scanner converts documents (including camera film, photo prints, and text
documents) into digital data by exposing them to light to form an image that is
read by an image sensor.
(The see-through illustration shows a CCD flatbed scanner)

Light Source
High-brightness white LED light source
X

White LED Light Guide Technology

Reflective Mirrors
Used to ensure the correct optical
path length

Lens Unit
An aspherical ST lens guides the light
from the light source that strikes the
document to the image sensor

FARE Glass
Adjusts for differences in optical path
lengths between infrared and normal
light

CCD Sensor

Light Source for Film

Scanning

Converts light hitting the document into

electrical signals

Provides the light source when scanning

photo film. Uses white LED or a fluorescent lamp
X

Carriage Drive Motor

Image Correction Technology

Controller

Carriage

Processes image data from the CCD sensor with a dedicated imaging processor

Optical unit equipped with a

light source, mirrors, lens, and
imaging sensor. The entire carriage moves when scanning the
document

CCD and CIS Systems

Canon offers two types of flatbed scanner: CCD and CIS. CCD models incorporate high-precision optics and high-density CCD line sensors that illuminate the
document with a light source such as white LED to deliver sharp, high-resolution images. CIS scanners are slim-bodied, energy-efficient models that utilize a
three-color RGB LED as the light source and read documents with a CIS (Contact
Image Sensor) of the same width as document originals.

28

CCD scanner

Light source

CIS scanner
Light guide

Scanning direction
Glass

LED

Scanning direction
Glass
SELFOC lens

Mirror
Lens
CCD

RGB lter

Photo receptor

Enhancing Work Efficiency and Conserving Energy

White LED Light Guiding
Input

Light intensity of
CanoScan 8800F lamp
Lamp turns off
Scanning starts
Scan button pressed

Light intensity of
Conventional lamps
Warm-up time
(about 30 sec. at room temp.)

Scan button pressed

Lamp turns off

Scanning starts

Reduction of Warm-up Time Through Use of White LED

Lamp

*1 LED (Light Emitting

Diode)
A semiconductor diode that
emits light when an electric
current is applied. While LEDs
are smaller and lighter than
fluorescent lamps, have a longer lifespan, and require less
electricity to run, lower light
intensity has been cited as a
drawback. Recently, as LED
brightness has improved, they
have been adopted for a wide
range of applications.

Output

With conventional CCD scanners that employ fluorescent

lamps, about 30 seconds of warm-up time is required after
startup or re-activation from sleep mode. While using an
LED*1 as the light source eliminates warm-up time, because
it is a point light source, technology is needed to convert it
into a linear light source with uniform light intensity.
By applying the LED light guide technology Canon
developed for its CIS scanners and researching LED installation and light guide formats, the company was able to
develop a high-brightness white LED light source for scanners. This technology ensures stable light intensity immediately upon starting up the scanner, reducing warm-up time
to zero. In addition, it is no longer necessary to keep the
light on after scanning, which helps save energy.

A Full Array of Image Correction Features for a Variety of Documents

Exposure

Image Correction Technology

Optical / Medical

The scanning mechanism is not the only factor that determines scanner performance. The driver that processes data from
the scanner and reproduces images is equally important. Canons ScanGear scanner driver is designed not only to enable
exceptional ease of use but also to deliver a wide range of image-processing features. This image-processing technology
is based on platform technology used in other Canon digital imaging devices, but has been specially customized for use in
scanners.
Backlight correction
Dust and scratch removal
The backlight correction function analyzes backlit images
When scanning photographic film using a high-resolution
and automatically adjusts the overall image brightness and
scanner, minute dust particles and scratches that are inviscontrast according to the darkness levels in the areas that
ible to the naked eye are picked up. The dust and scratch
need correction.
removal function first detects dust and scratches with
infrared light from an infrared LED, and then determines
the size and shape of the dust and scratches along with
the characteristics of the surrounding image. Next, the
dust and scratches are automatically removed through a
high-level integration of hardware and software processing to create a beautiful reproduction.

Fundamental

(Conceptual diagram)

(Conceptual diagram)

Before and After Backlight Correction

Discoloration correction
The discoloration correction function restores vivid colors
to film or photo prints that have faded or display color
bleeding. The histogram of the scanned image is analyzed
and hue, color balance, contrast, and saturation are automatically adjusted to appropriate levels.

Environmental

Before and After Dust and Scratch Removal

Book-binding shadow correction

This corrective function reduces the shadow that occurs
when an open book or magazine is scanned. The shadow
created by the books spine is detected using a shaperecognition density table, and the brightness is adjusted
accordingly.

Future

(Conceptual diagram)

Before and After Discoloration Correction

(Conceptual diagram)

Before and After Book-Binding Shadow Correction

29

Photo Printing Technology for Optimal Quality and Speed

Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers enable most anyone to easily create high-quality photo prints and have significantly changed
the way people enjoy photography. An integration of precision technologies, including those for ink and print
heads, makes possible the printing of beautiful photographs for users to enjoy in mere moments. Canons
ability to combine component technologies, which it continues to steadily amass, has elevated the quality of
inkjet printers to new heights.
Paper Feed Mechanism

Overview of Inkjet Printers

Incorporates an automatic duplex

print/copy unit, and offers 2-way
paper feeding, from either the
paper cassette at the front of the
machine or rear tray at the back

A heater is used to create bubbles in the ink, which cause the ejection
of microscopic ink droplets to create an image on paper.

Scanner

Carriage
Moves horizontally while the print head
ejects ink droplets

Ink Tanks
Between four and ten
individual ink tanks, one
for each color

Card Slots
Supports direct printing from a wide range of
memory cards

Controlling Microscopic Ink Droplets

FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering)
After developing the basic mechanisms used in inkjet printers,
Canon has continued to foster new ideas and original technologies in the field. FINE is the key technology behind these
innovations. FINE's ink ejection mechanism and print head
manufacturing technology have enabled Canon to achieve
dramatic improvements in image quality, gradation expression, and image stability.
Ejection mechanism for accurate placement of
microscopic ink droplets as small as 1 picoliter*1
Microscopic ink droplets and precise ejection are essential to
high image quality. With conventional ejection systems, however, the finer the ink droplets, the more vulnerable they are to
airflow disturbances from print head movement and changes
in ink viscosity due to temperature fluctuations, resulting in
inconsistent ejection volumes and ink dot placement.
Canons FINE print head ensures that all the ink under
the heater is pushed out in a single ejection to ensure efficient performance. Ink droplet speed has been increased to

more than 1.5 times that of conventional systems, reducing their susceptibility to airflow disturbances to enable
increased placement accuracy.
Print head manufacturing technologies using nanoprecision semiconductor exposure equipment
Achieving smaller droplet sizes and faster print speeds
requires high-precision fabrication technologies to enable
the placement of a greater number of nozzles over a wider
area. Canons FINE print heads are made by integrating the
heaters and nozzles into a single unit on a wafer using a
process that makes the most of the companys expertise in
semiconductor production, as well as its original material
technologies and innovative processing technologies. The
ability to fabricate nozzles with high precision over large
areas without using bonding processes makes it possible to
arrange 6,000 or more nozzles within an area measuring a
mere 20 mm 16 mm, roughly the size of a thumbprint.
Approx. 9m
in diameter
5-pl nozzle

Heating/Foaming

*1 picoliter (pl)
1 pl = one trillionth of a liter

30

Ink droplet ejection

FINE's Ink-Ejection Process

The ink ejection

opening is located
beneath the heater,
which allows all the ink
under the heater to be
ejected uniformly.

1-pl nozzle
2-pl nozzle

Print Head with Enlarged View of Nozzle Configuration

Realizing Beautiful Prints on Plain Paper

PgR (Pigment Reaction) Technology
Input

When printing on plain paper, ink tends to bleed. Canons

PgR technology, however, makes it possible to achieve
high-quality print results comparable to brochures and posters, even when using ordinary plain paper. This technology
employs newly developed clear ink to coat plain paper,
after which Canon LUCIA pigment inks*2 ( P.33) are used
to print on the clear ink coating to create high-quality prints.

Canons clear ink, a transparent ink containing polyvalent metal ions, reacts with the pigment in the pigment
ink, causing it to bond with the surface of the paper. In
order to establish PgR technology, Canon redesigned its
ink materials and developed new mechanical devices such
as rollers to spread a thin, uniform layer of clear ink over
the surface of the paper.

Output

The paper is coated with clear

ink.

Pigment ink is ejected.

Upon contact, the pigment ink

reacts with the surface of the paper.

Improved saturation,
brightness and ink fixation.

PgR Technology Ink Fixing Process

ChromaLife 100+
to the modification of the dye architecture of the ink and
the addition of a new longevity improver to the photo
paper, gas fastness has improved significantly. In addition,
the ability to reproduce colors in the red region has been
expanded, making it possible to preserve fresh, rich colors
over an extended period of time.

*3 Dye inks
A type of ink in which the
coloring material is dissolved
at the molecular level; ideally
suited for use in photo prints.
*4 300-year album storage,
30-year light-fastness, and
gas-fastness of 20 years.
Permanence figures are projections based on tests conducted under accelerated
environmental conditions and
are not guaranteed. More
detailed information about
how these projections are calculated, and the criteria used,
can be found on P.17.

Optical / Medical

ChromaLife 100+ is an advanced system for preserving

the beauty of photos that combines Canons genuine dye
inks*3 and genuine photo paper to produce photos with a
300-year album storage, 30-year light-fastness, and gasfastness of 20 years.*4
Multiple performance demands are simultaneously
placed on the inks used in Canon inkjet printers, including
heat stability, the maintenance of fine droplet configuration (proper spheres of 1 pl), and safety. Bright coloration,
high ink density, and fade resistance are also vital. Due

Exposure

Long-lasting Beauty of Photos

*2 Pigment ink
A type of ink that uses
micro-dispersion of extremely
fine pigment particles and
achieves superior longevity.

Advanced Photo Correction

Input images (examples)

Scene categorization makes use of image analysis technology based on detailed analyses of a huge database of
photo images.
For portraits, Auto Photo Fix detects subjects' faces and
optimally adjusts skin tones and brightness. With scenery
photos, emphasis is placed on making the photos as colorful and striking as possible. When a photograph contains
both faces and scenery, the technology aims for an automatically well-balanced image by producing natural skin
tones against a vivid background. Auto Photo Fix can also
correct for red-eye.*5

Scene optimization

Optimized results (examples)

Night scenery

Portrait

(1) Identifies face areas in the

image.

(3) Optimizes the correction effect

using the results of categorizing
scenes and shooting
information.*6

Auto Photo Fix Process

Red-eye correction

*6 Optimizing correction
effects
Specific forms of correction
include color cast correction,
exposure correction, face
color correction, and face
brightening (backlight adjustment). On the basis of the
scene categorization results,
Auto Photo Fix implements
scene-type optimization (tone
adjustment and increased
saturation); depending on the
scene, specific colors may be
emphasized to achieve optimal correction.

Future

(2) Analyzes the features of the

image and infers the type of
scene.

*5 Red-eye correction
The red-eye phenomenon may
occur when taking a picture
of someone using flash photography. The effect is caused
by light being reflected off
the capillaries in the retina
of the eye.

Environmental

Canon Auto Photo Fix technology helps inkjet printers

achieve their full printing potential by automatically analyzing and classifying photographs and making appropriate corrections.
Auto Photo Fix identifies faces in the image, then analyzes the features of the image and infers the type of
scene. Corrections are then implemented based on the
face identification and scene classification results, combined with shooting information. Auto Photo Fix uses
face identification technology that is significantly more
advanced than conventional face identification techniques.

Fundamental

Auto Photo Fix

31

Enabling the High-Speed Production of High-Definition Extra-Large Posters and Maps

Large-Format Inkjet Printers

The technology found in Canon inkjet printers is changing the large-format printing world. FINE print head
technology ( P.30) has led to the development of wide print heads that provide high-definition, highspeed printing on large-scale media. Large-format printing offers a wide range of applications, including
artwork to adorn walls, architectural CAD, and cultural projects.
Overview of Large-Format Inkjet Printers

High-Capacity Ink Tanks

Using the same principle as a conventional inkjet printer, a heater causes

Between 5 and 12 individual color ink

tanks (330700ml) supply ink to the print
head via tubes

bubbles to form in the ink, ejecting microscopic ink droplets to print on largeformat media.

X
X

LUCIA
Reactive Ink Technology

Multiple Sensors
Adjust the head position,
detect paper width, and automatically calibrate colors

Print Heads
Each one-inch-wide
(2.54cm) head can print six
colors, with 2,560 nozzles
per color. Equipped with
two heads placed side by
side, the system provides a
total of 30,720 nozzles for
12 color inks (2,560 12
= 30,720 nozzles, 2,400
1,200 dpi)

Carriage
Transports the print heads horizontally. Incorporates a sensor to
read print results and a cutter in
addition to the print heads

Take-up Unit

2,560 nozzles 6 colors 2,560 nozzles 6 colors

Automatically winds the printed output

High-speed Performance, from Image Processing to Printer Control

L-COA

*1 Large-volume image
data
The data volume required for
printing an A0 sheet (841
1,189 mm, sixteen times the
size of a sheet of A4 paper) is
approximately 3GB.
*2 pl (picoliter)
1 pl = one trillionth of a liter
*3 High-speed printing
An A0-size print can be created in approximately 53
seconds.

32

The L-COA image processor, the heart of Canons largeformat inkjet printers, processes large-volume image data
and compiles printing data*1 to provide optimal control of
the printer. L-COA controls the one-inch-wide print heads,
which eject ink droplets as small as 4 pl*2 from
30,720 nozzles, to enable high-speed,*3 high-resolution large-format printing.
L-COA was developed using Canons System LSI
Integrated Design Environment platform technology ( P.56). L-COA integrates onto a single chip
functions that had previously been handled by multiple chips, including protocol processing, image
processing, and printer control. System processing
is also integrated for faster processing, a shorter
communication time lag, and greater speed.

High performance/
High integration

L-COA
High-resolution
image
processing

The L-COA Image Processor and Conceptual Overview

High-speed
engine control

12-Color Pigment Inks to Satisfy Demanding Professionals

LUCIA
G ink

Y ink

GY mixture

R ink

YR mixture

CG mixture

RM mixture

BC mixture

MB mixture

Comprehensive Color Expression with CMYRGB Inks

Five-color Dye and Pigment Inks for High-Definition CAD Printing

Reactive Ink Technology
small text with a placement accuracy of 0.1% and a
minimum line width of 0.02 mm. A rendering resolution
of 1,200 dpi enables the smooth reproduction of oblique
lines and curves, ensuring the clear presentation of small
text characters.

*6 Dark and light gray ink

Dark and light gray ink reduce
the graininess of gradation
in dark areas of an image.
Because gray printing uses
little colored ink, it reduces
the impact of light sources on
printouts.

Exposure

Printing architectural drawings and design plans requires

accurate printing of fine lines. Canon-developed reactive
ink technology exploits the reaction between CMYK dye
inks and pigment-based matte black ink to prevent blurring along the edges of text characters and lines.
Five-color dye and pigment reactive inks create clear,
crisp black output, making possible the printing of ultra-

*5 Complementary colors
Pairs of colors located on
opposing sides of the color
circle. When adjacent to one
another, complementary
colors are emphasized and
seem more saturated, such
as magenta-colored flowers
against green leaves.

Output

C ink
B ink
M ink
Clear and rich color expression

Input

The ink used in printers is either dye-based or pigmentbased.*4 Canons LUCIA pigment inks combine the glossiness of dye ink with the vivid colors and weather resistance of pigment ink.
For the 12 LUCIA pigment inks, in addition to CMY ink
colors, Canon developed special complementary RGB colors (complementary color*5 relationship) and two shades
of gray,*6 realizing an expanded range which enables
greater overall balance. With LUCIA, vivid colors can now
be achieved on a variety of media types, including glossy
paper.

*4 Dye and pigment

Ink is made up of pigment,
solvent, additives, and water.
Pigment is dissolved at the
molecular level in dye ink
but, in pigment ink, is only
dispersed without being dissolved. Each ink type has its
own strengths, with dye ink
offering subtle color expression well suited for use in
photo prints and pigment ink
delivering superior light-fastness.

Optical / Medical

Color ink
(dye)

Matte black ink

(pigment)

Chemical reaction

Black droplet
with minimal bleeding

Reactive Ink Technology

Fundamental

Easy Automated Creation of Poster and Album Layouts

Dynamic Layout Engine (DLE)
element while minimizing the spacing between each element.
With the newly developed auto design function that
uses this algorithm, users simply input a minimum amount
of information, such as the targeted image, text and image
data, and the software automatically creates design drafts
in optimal color arrangements and layouts.

Poster candidates

DLE technology

Springs are compressed

Automatic layout minimizes the energy in the

connectors linking the content boxes.

Future

Texture
Text fonts
Colors
Basic design

Environmental

PosterArtist 2008, Canons poster-creation software for

large-format printers, incorporates Canons proprietary DLE
technology. DLE automatically provides layouts optimized
for the number and size of the elements to be included in
the poster, making possible professional-looking results
without complicated operations.
The basic algorithm used in DLE serves as a spring-like
adjustment function, which enables the flexible changing
of the spacing between each variable content element. It
automatically enables the optimization of the size of each

Automatic
layout
creation

Auto Design Function

33

Electrophotographic Technology Meets Needs for Smaller, Slimmer Printers

Laser Beam Printers

Canon has rapidly responded to user needs from a variety of angles in the development of its laser beam
printers (LBPs). To meet the demands of the times, Canon continues to develop products while striving not
only to improve such basic performance aspects as image quality, speed, and ease of use, but also providing
network compatibility, extensibility, and eco-friendly performance.
Overview of Laser Beam Printers

Lens System

Through the electrophotographic printing process ( P.14), laser beams scan the sur-

Lenses guide the laser beams from the

polygon mirror to the individual photosensitive drums

face of photosensitive drums to form a latent image.

Toner is then affixed to non-charged areas of the drums to develop the latent image,
and finally transferred to paper for printing.

Fixing Belt
Applies heat and pressure to fix the toner to
the paper

Laser Diode
This unit emits laser beams in the four
CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and
black) colors

Polygon Mirror
The mirror spins at a high speed
(20,000 to 30,000 rpm) to scan the
laser beams

All-in-one Cartridges
For ease of maintenance, each cartridge
includes a single integrated photosensitive drum and developing unit for each
of the CMYK colors

Transfer Pad

Intermediate Transfer Belt

Applies a positive charge to induce transfer from the photosensitive

drum to the intermediate transfer belt. This new device replaces conventional transfer rollers
X

Combines the toner images formed on the

individual drums and transfers the image
to the paper

Pad Transfer High-Image-Quality Technology

Reducing Printer Load to Realize High-Speed Output

Color CAPT (Canon Advanced Printing Technology)
Image data output by printers is generated by Color CAPT
driver software, installed on the host PC, and the printer
controller.
An advantage of Canons Color CAPT technology is its
ability to perform at high speeds everything from GDI*1
commands to data rendering and compression on the host
PC, then send this data via the interface to the printer controller memory. The function of the printer controller is not
to conduct the image processing of data, but to decompress the highly compressed data stored in its memory.
*1 GDI (Graphic Device
Interface)
A graphics processing program included in Microsoft
Windows.
*2 PDL (Page Description
Language)
A language used to provide
printing data instructions
regarding location and format
data for text and graphics.

34

Utilizing high-performance PCs in this way makes possible high-speed printing, even of pages containing large
volumes of data, using minimal printer memory and without burdening the printer controller. The latest version of
Color CAPT, Color CAPT 3.0, provides improved network
connectability to make printing even more convenient.

Windows PC

Printer

GDI

Printer
driver

Printing

GDI
command

PDL
conversion

Printing

GDI
command

Rendering

Application

Printer controller
PDL*2

Ordinary PDL

Engine
Bitmap

Rendering
Bitmap

Color CAPT

(Soft SURF)

Conceptual Diagram of Color CAPT Data Processing

High-compression bitmap
(Hi-SCoA; pipeline transfer)

Electric Field Control Technology for Simple Architecture and Improved Image Quality
Pad Transfer High-Image-Quality Technology
Input

fer belt without scattering toner for the printing of text

that is sharp and clear. Less electrical resistance in the
system makes possible a 90% decrease in voltage needed
for transfer, contributing to a smaller overall printer size
and lower costs.

Photosensitive drum

Output

Electrical conductive sheet

Intermediate
transfer belt

Transfer pad

Low friction

Secondary transfer counter roller

Exposure

To produce color LBP images, toner formed in the image

on each yellow, magenta, cyan, and black photosensitive
drum is initially transferred onto an intermediate transfer
belt in succession and layered on top of one another. In
the past, a positive charge was applied to the transfer
roller to cause the negatively charged toner to transfer
onto the belt.
In Canons newly developed Pad Transfer High-ImageQuality Technology, a pad and special electrical conductive
sheet with low friction resistance convey toner onto the
intermediate transfer belt for the primary transfer. With
conventional rollers, it was necessary to add extra components or make the roller bigger to prevent toner from scattering due to such phenomena as delamination discharge.
Canons Pad Transfer High-Image-Quality Technology
uses an electrical conductive sheet to eliminate the need
for additional components, achieving a small, simple configuration. Applying a positive charge to the sheet draws
the negatively charged toner onto the intermediate trans-

Pad Transfer High-Image-Quality Technology

Reducing Height to Realize Slim Color Laser Beam Printers

Ultra-Compact LBP Design Technology

Slim High-Voltage Electrical Component

Technology
In its pursuit to create a compact and slim LBP, Canon
developed a slender high-voltage power board that is
recessed into the side of the printer. Although LBPs require
high voltage and tend to have large power boards, a
slimmer design was achieved by replacing the traditional
electromagnetic transformer*3 with a piezoelectric transformer*4 to reduce height by about 50% to 8.0 mm. Canon
also adopted a new integrated circuit design, reducing the
size of the transformer frequency control circuit by approximately one third.

H: 16.0 mm

4-in-1 Ultra-Slim Laser Scanner

Transformer
PZT

FET

HV_R

HV_R

Piezoelectric high-voltage power supply

HV_C

HV_R

HV_C

Al
Cap47

EI10.2

Conventional high-voltage power supply (electromagnetic transformer)

High-Voltage Power Board with Ultra-Slim High-Voltage Electrical Component Technology

*3 Electromagnetic transformer
A transformer that uses
electromagnetic induction
to change voltage. Previous
electromagnetic transformers
used electromagnetic coils for
induction.

Future

H: 8.0 mm

Environmental

Slim Structural Design Technology

Canon also decreased the size of LBPs by arranging toner
cartridges horizontally instead of vertically and developing
a draw-type operation. A new fanless design, which
exploits natural convection to eliminate the need for a
heat-dissipating fan, also contributes to a rigid, lightweight
frame design.

Fundamental

4-in-1 Ultra-Slim Laser Scanner

In conventional laser scanners, each of the four photosensitive drums requires a laser scanner. Canons 4-in-1 Laser
Scanner is a single scanner unit that projects four color
laser beams onto a polygon mirror at oblique angles, splitting the light path into four directions to guide each beam
towards its respective photosensitive drum. Positioning the
polygon mirror at a low level in the center of the scanner
unit and meticulously designing the paths of the beams
made possible the 4-in-1 Ultra-Slim Laser Scanners minimal overall height of 50 mm.

Optical / Medical

Canon has engaged in a variety of technical overhauls in response to the need for compact-size LBPs, which are often
located on or near desktops in office environments. Canons Ultra-Compact LBP Design Technology, responsible for the
realization of ultra-slim A4 color LBPs measuring 262 mm in height, is a composite of different technologies that contribute to smaller, slimmer designs.

*4 Piezoelectric transformer
A transformer that exploits the
piezoelectric effect of a piezoelectric element (ceramic) to
change voltage.

35

Combining Advanced Technologies to Make Office Work Easier

Network Digital MFPs

Network digital MFPs allow multiple office imaging tasks, such as input, output, storage, and transmission
of documents, to be performed by a single device. Canon has drawn on its expertise in developing electrophotographic technologies to combine advanced network, document processing, and software technologies
in a single unit.
Scanning Unit
Canons network digital MFPs also aim to provide
Illuminates documents on
the copyboard glass and
enhanced security technology to meet todays
scans them with a CCD
business needs.
sensor
Overview of Network Digital MFPs
Drum Units

Network Digital MFPs print documents using the electrophotographic printing process. An MFP utilizes

A photosensitive drum, electrical charging roller, developing

unit, and developing roller are
incorporated into each compact
drum unit, with one drum unit
provided for each of the CMYK
colors

either a tandem system, as illustrated on the right, in

which each CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color
has its own laser unit and drum unit; or a single-drum
system, in which one drum is used to form images.

Advanced FLAT 4 Engine

iR Controller
The heart of the network digital MFP, the iR Controller
consists of a graphics processor chip, expanded memory,
and system LSI that incorporates a dual-core CPU, graphics
engine, and rendering engine into a single chip
X

Intermediate Transfer Belt

Controller Architecture

Combines the toner images formed on

the photosensitive drums for each color
and transfers them to paper

Laser Units
Uses laser beams to scan the photosensitive drum, exposing
the surface of the drum to form an image. In tandem systems, one laser unit is assigned to each of the CMYK (cyan,
magenta, yellow, black) colors
X

Fixing Unit
Applies heat and pressure to fix transferred toner
to paper

Advanced FLAT 4 Engine

Twin-Belt Fixing Device

High-Definition, High-Speed Color Output

Advanced FLAT 4 Engine
The laser units used in tandem systems*1 employ a high-definition four-beam laser array that simultaneously emits four
laser beams onto the photosensitive drum for each CMYK color via a polygon mirror and lens. The compact four-surface
mirror measures 20 mm diagonally and controls the laser beams while rotating at a high speed of 37,000 rpm. Compact
rotation motors and improved bearings reduce rotation noise.

*1 Tandem systems and

single-drum systems
Types of image-formation
systems used in photocopiers. Whereas tandem systems
have separate laser and
drums units for each CMYK
color aligned in parallel that
make them suitable for highspeed output, single-drum
systems have a single laser
unit and single drum unit
shared by all of the CMYK
colors, making possible smaller printer products.
*2 Patch
Standard toner image used
as the basis for each type of
correction that is typically
formed on the photosensitive
drum and intermediate transfer belt, then recovered by the
cleaner.

36

Registration Correction
Although tandem systems are considered more susceptible
to color misalignment and image density inconsistencies
than single-drum systems,*1 Canon has solved these problems through the use of advanced sensing technologies.
To deal with color misalignment, a photosensor measures
each color pattern formed on the intermediate transfer
belt and automatically corrects the image-forming position
of each color on the photosensitive drum. Inconsistencies
in image density are automatically corrected by forming
a patch*2 of each color on the intermediate transfer belt,
which is then scanned with an RRPS sensor capable of
reading image density with high precision, even for faint
colors.
C l e a n e r- L e s s To n e r- R e u s e
System
In ordinary MFPs, a small amount of
toner often remains on the photosensitive drum after the image is transferred
to the intermediate transfer belt and
is collected using a cleaning blade. Registration Correction

Canon has developed a Cleaner-Less/Toner-Reuse System,

which uses an auxiliary charged brush to recharge the
residual particles and balance out the static load, after
which the developing roller collects the recharged particles.
This system is incorporated into the MFP unit, enabling a
smaller drum unit, longer lifespan for the photosensitive
drum, and reliable methods for the collection and reuse
of toner.

Polygon mirror

Photosensor

Toner bottle

Toric lens
Mirror
Developing roller

Drum unit
Developing unit

Reading unit
for each color
pattern

Photosensitive drum

Charging roller
Auxiliary charged
brush
Intermediate transfer
belt

Cleaner-Less/Toner-Reuse System

Efficiently Implementing Random Processing on Network Digital MFPs

Controller Architecture
Input

Sequential processing
Scanner
Fax

Send
Network

Storage

Print

Output

Concurrent multitask processing

Send

Scanner

Fax

Storage
Print
Network

MFP Sequential and Concurrent Multitask Processing

*3 Dual-core CPU
A CPU with two CPU cores
in the CPU package. The processing performance of the
CPU is improved through parallel processing.

Exposure

Network digital MFPs conduct concurrent multitasking, or

simultaneous parallel processing of multiple tasks, including printing, copying, scanning, faxing, networking input
and output, and in-box data utilization, procedures that
entail exceptionally large volumes of processing data.
Canon has developed a dedicated processor as the heart
of the multitasking systemthe iR/iPR Controller, an LSI
independently developed using the companys System LSI
Integrated Design Environment ( P.56).
The Color iR/iPR Controller for color MFPs combines
dedicated processors, including a 666MHz and 400MHz
dual-core CPU*3 to control the system, a graphics engine
for processing all images in the same dimension, and the
SURF rendering engine for processing print data in a single
chip. The controller boards for Canons network digital
MFPs contain these dedicated processors, standard 1GB
(maximum 1.5 GB) expanded memory, and a specialized
chip for efficient 1,200 dpi image processing.

Reproducing High-Definition Documents for Easier Readability

S-Toner
Optical / Medical

Wax

S-Toner Structure

*4 Polymerizing reaction
A chemical reaction that
forms a polymer in which
multiple atoms share covalent
bonds, such as a macromolecular compound.

Fundamental

S-Toner, used in network MFPs and laser beam printers, is

a micro-particle toner with a microcapsule structure.
Because S-toner is created by a chemical reaction
(polymerizing reaction*4), particles have a spherical shape
and uniform size, making possible the creation of beautiful
image output with sharp and fine lines.
S-toner particle encapsulate a wax core, enabling paper
on which toner has been fixed to separate easily from the
fuser roller. The toner also provides an appropriate level of
gloss for high density areas like photographs, and produces
easy-to-read text with a matte finish.

Achieving Stable High-Speed Output and Low Power Consumption

Twin-Belt Fixing Device

Environmental

IH coil

Fixing belt

Pressure belt

Twin-Belt Fixing Device

5 IH (Induction Heating)
A heating method that uses
electromagnetic induction, a
technology commonly used
in home-use rice cookers and
electromagnetic induction
cookers.

Future

Stable high-speed output is a must in offices where network digital MFPs serve the needs of multiple users simultaneously. Canon developed its Twin-Belt Fixing system by
combining induction heating (IH)*5 technology ( P.69),
commonly used in cooking appliances, with a new concept
employing two belts that fixes toner with heat and pressure.
Unlike conventional fixing rollers, the two belts expand
the pressurized area from a line to a plane, enabling
significantly improved fixing stability during fast printing
cycles. Because the fixing belt is made of a low-thermalcapacity material and is heated by an IH coil from the
outer surface that comes into contact with the paper, the
method achieves approximately 20% greater thermal efficiency compared with conventional halogen heaters while
consuming less power.

37

Network Digital MFPs

Supporting the Building of Business Models
MEAP/MEAP-Lite
MEAP,*1 an application platform incorporated into Canons
network digital MFPs, enables users to perform copying
and other MFP functions as applications customized to
their needs and office work without using a computer.
The MEAP architecture, which realizes independence
from the operating system by Java technology, mainly comprises three elements: the MEAP platform, which provides
the basic execution environment; the MEAP system service,
which provides system-related functionality; and multiple
MEAP applications.
MEAP provides network digital MFPs with dramatically
enhanced potential as IT terminals and further broadens
their interaction with external devices and systems.
Canon has also developed MEAP-Lite, which incorpo*1 MEAP
Multifunctional Embedded rates the MEAP concept into LBPs, aiding in the building of
server-less printing systems.
Application Platform

Custom UI

MEAP functionality
application

System Integration

MEAP system services

Custom Workow

MEAP applications (Java)

MEAP Platform
Copy/Send
BOX/Print

Controller

CPCA
Class
Library

Application
Manager

Java(J2ME)
Personal Prole

Utility
Class
Library

Real-time OS

MEAP Architecture

Improving Output Performance

Printing System
Producing high-speed, high-resolution output on a network digital MFP creates a heavy load for the printer controller.
Canon has developed a printing system that performs optimal data processing for each product and provides efficient
high-speed/high-resolution output, without placing excessive strain on the printer controller.
UFR II/UFR II LT
Canon network digital MFPs and laser beam printers incorporate UFR II, developed by Canon for printers. UFR II uses
a load-balancing feature to efficiently distribute the processing burden of all components of printer data between
the PC and the printer, and also facilitates optimal data
processing in line with the printers RIP*2 capabilities.
UFR II LT, the page description language used in lowcost machines, also uses UFR II technology to carry out
PC data processing, enabling high-speed printing even on
printers with low processing capabilities.

Windows PC

High-Speed RIP
The RIP of ordinary printers is conducted by software (software RIP). However, in the case of color printers, which
handle large volumes of data, it is often impossible to use
software RIP for high-speed data processing, meaning the
hardwares RIP must be used instead.
With the aim of enhancing high speed and high resolution, Canon has developed and incorporated into its products the core technology for high-speed RIP, which can be
used as either software RIP or hardware RIP. Additionally,
Canon is proceeding with the further optimization and
parallelization of internal processing in order to accommodate higher speeds, and also realizing advancements in the
development of technology to enable, high-resolution data
processing by high-speed internal data compression.

Printer

Load is distributed according to

printer capability
Page layout

UFR II LT

Data
processing
Graphics processing

UFR II

*2 RIP
Raster Image Processing, a
process for creating bitmap
data from a page description
language (PDL).

38

Load balancing

Image processing

PC

UFR II Load Balancing

Printer

Analyzing Paper Documents to Create Reusable Electronic Copies

Document Processing Technology
Input

Canon network digital MFPs do more than just make copies of scanned data. Built-in document-processing technology
enables the creation of reusable electronic copy by analyzing documents, separating them into text, graphic, and image
components, and carrying out the most appropriate processing for each component.
Document Analysis
Technology

Searchable PDF Conversion

Technology

High-Compression PDF
Conversion Technology

Transparent,
high-resolution text image
Binarization

Text block extraction

Output

MMR compression
for text block
Assignment of text color

Outline PDF
Conversion Technology

Synthesis
Deletion of text block
JPEG compression
for background image

Resolution conversion

Highly compressed
searchable PDF

Low resolution and high-frequency elimination

enable extremely high compression.

Overview of PDF*3 Conversion Based on Document Processing Technology

High-resolution text display in any environment:

Outline PDF Conversion Technology
Outline PDF conversion technology represents the evolution of high-compression PDF conversion technology.
While this technology conventionally combines text and
background data extracted from scanned images, Canons
Outline PDF converts text data into vector data and then
compresses it to make possible the display of high-resolution text regardless of the image data reproduction
environment.
Text and graphics data converted with Outline PDF can
also be reused in Adobe Illustrator, expanding the range of
reuse possibilities for scanned documents.

Environmental

Canons Outline PDF

*3 PDF (Portable Document

Format)
A document conversion format developed by Adobe
Systems Inc. widely used for
exchanging documents and
displaying documents on the
Internet.

Future

Smooth Text Reproduction in Any Environment

Fundamental

Conventional PDF

High resolution with low data volume:

High-Compression PDF Conversion Technology
High-compression PDF conversion technology employs
document analysis technology to extract individual text
and image data and separate them into multiple layers.
Each layer is then optimally compressed, providing high
compression ratios while maintaining high resolution.
Using conventional compression methods, an A4-size color
image scanned at 150-dpi can be compressed to a file
size of about 2 MB. With Canon technology, however, the
same image scanned at a resolution equivalent to 300 dpi
can be reduced to roughly one tenth of that size (200 KB).
Canon was the worlds first company to incorporate this
technology into MFPs, and has dramatically improved the
capability of handling color document image data, which
entails particularly high volumes of data.

Optical / Medical

Searching for text in image PDF:

Searchable PDF Conversion Technology
Searchable PDF conversion technology enables text searches within PDF documents by overlaying text, identified and
extracted as data using document analysis technology, on
the original image as a text layer. The technology achieves
a fast processing speed of 7.5 pages per minute for A4-size
documents, with a high accuracy rate of 97.75% (based on
in-house Japanese-language evaluation samples). In addition to Japanese, the technology supports English as well
as various European and Asian languages.

Exposure

Separating text and graphics from image data:

Document Analysis Technology
Canons document-processing technology analyzes the layout of scanned paper documents and creates basic data by
extracting text, graphics, and images as objects. It enables
the creation of high-quality documents through recognition technology, like vector conversion, image processing
and compression.
Canon has focused efforts particularly in the area of
advancing recognition technology, which offers support for
a variety of languages in addition to English and European
languages, including Chinese and Korean.

39

Network Digital MFPs

Providing a Secure Environment with Hardware and Software
Security Technologies
Canon views the entire flow of office information centered on the network digital MFP as a document cycle, providing total
security for paper documents and electronic data through both hardware and software.
Safeguarding image and document copyrights:
Digital Watermarking Technology
Digital watermarking is a security technology used to protect the copyrights of photographs, illustrations, video content contained on DVDs and other media, and documents.
With this technology, the name of the copyright holder,
the date of creation, and other related information can be
encoded and embedded into copyrighted digital content as
a watermark according to a key that indicates where the
information is embedded.
Various methods of embedding can be used depending
on the data in question. In the case of still images, image
data is converted into frequency data using a Fourier transform,*1 after which the watermark information is converted
into a pulse signal and embedded in the frequency data
Original image

*1 Fourier transforms and

inverse Fourier transforms
The Fourier transform is the
process of observing an
image or other data, analyzing the degree of change, and
converting the results into a
frequency. An inverse Fourier
transform is the same process reversed, converting the
image or other data from a
frequency back into its original state.

according to a key. Finally, the signal is converted back

into image data using an inverse Fourier transform.*1 Since
the pulse signal is distributed throughout the entire image
during the inverse conversion process, the watermark is
not visibly apparent. Further, the embedded watermark
cannot be detected without the key generated at the time
of embedding.
Canon has also developed an error-correcting coding technology that utilizes mathematical processing to
decode signals that may have been rendered unreadable
due to noise, enabling the recovery of embedded information even when part of the content has been deleted or
modified without authorization.

Embedded watermark

Image with embedded digital watermark

(Watermark is not visually discernible)

a
C non
I n c.
Canon Inc.

Conversion to frequency data

using the Fourier transform

Manipulation of key information

and insertion of pulse signal

Conversion to image data

using the inverse Fourier transform

Digital Watermarking

Protecting critical information with simple processing:

Security Screen Pattern Technology
is hidden in the background of the document until copied.
Security screen pattern technology is designed to deter
Prior to copying, a balance of small and large dots creates
unauthorized copying. Canon has developed a security
the impression of an even background. During the copying
screen pattern-printing technology that can embed hidden
process, the small dots are not read and thus disappear,
text in ordinary paper documents without the need for
leaving behind only the hidden text that is printed in large
special paper. If the document is copied, the hidden text
dots. Focusing on processing technology for the boundarappears on copied duplicates. Security screen patterns are
ies between large and small dots enables a uniform dencomposed of a pattern rendered in small dots and a hidsity and prevents hidden text strings from being visible.
den text string rendered in large dots which, when printed,
Security pattern before copying

Security pattern after copying

Small dots
Copying
Large dots

After copying (copy)

Before copying
Designed so that the hidden text
appears when copied
Density
Latent image

Density
Background

Overview of Security Screen Pattern Technology

40

Latent image

Background

Maximum Utilization of Hardware Functions

Document Solutions
Input

In addition to hardware devices such as network digital MFPs and digital color production systems, Canon has developed
the imageWARE series of software products. Canon document solutions digitize paper documents for more effective use,
improving office workflow efficiency and reducing costs.
Input

Business Solutions for Users

Optimal solutions through flexible system architecture:
imageWARE Solution Suite
Canons imageWARE Solution Suite platform is built on
device-control and document-handling technologies. A
variety of functions are provided as components, facilitating efficient customization and allowing users to build
systems ideally suited to their needs.

Text data

imageWARE Solution Suite

Management
Security

Output

Processing
Management

Browsing

Search

Links

Links
Business applications

Core system
Visualization

Output

Configuration of imageWARE Solution Suite

DTP application

Computer

JDF parser
imagePRESS
C7000VP

JM hot
folder

JDF

Print job
manager

Prepress
manager

JDF

Optical / Medical

PDF/TIFF/
PS/JPEG

imagePRESS
Server

JDF

imagePRESS
C7000VP

JDF
connector

System Schematic of imageWARE Prepress Manager and

Print Job Manager

Fundamental

Device Management Solutions

Efficient printing device management for system
administrators:
imageWARE Enterprise Management Console
(iW Management Console)
Canons imageWARE Enterprise Management Console
provides the centralized management of tasks that were
previously handled by multiple utilities, including printing
device setup, address book delivery, and printer driver
installation.

Exposure

Comprehensive high-efficiency print management system:

imageWARE (iW) Prepress Manager /
imageWARE (iW) Print Job Manager
Canon imageWARE Prepress Manager software is designed
to support the creation of high-quality prints in the Print
On Demand (POD) market. The software combines document data from different applications and scanned image
data into a single file, making it possible to edit while
previewing an image of the final document. Canon imageWARE Print Job Manager sets up a centralized system that
can manage the operational status and job status of printers installed at remote locations.

Integration/
Centralization

Image data

Image conversion (resolution and format conversion)

OCR image characteristic extraction
iR agent

Service provider
Log information
Image data

Data server

Web server

Log information
Image/Text data

Network digital MFP

Web server
Printer driver
add-in

Client PC

Printer agent
Print server

System setup and

agent management

Search
Printer driver
add-in

Driver agent
Client PC

(attribute, full text, image)

Auditor/
Administrator PC

Filtering and
mail notication

System
manager

Future

Preventing information leaks by unauthorized

printing or copying:
imageWARE (iW) Secure Audit Manager
Canons imageWARE Secure Audit Manager allows users
to store and manage the content of documents used during printing, copying, scanning, and faxing, as image logs
in a database. This function proves useful for improving
security.

Environmental

Accurate recording/management of device use

status:
imageWARE (iW) Accounting Manager
Canons imageWARE Accounting Manager tallies and analyzes total output records for tasks such as printing and
copying by department, user, and device. Each device holds
its own records for review as needed.

Client
Image
search server

imageWARE Secure Audit Manager System Configuration

41

Digital Imaging Technology to Satisfy Demanding Professionals

Digital Color Presses imagePRESS

The imagePRESS digital color press is Canons first color on-demand printer for professional use. Incorporating
a range of Canon state-of-the-art technologies, the imagePRESS handles a wide variety of media and achieves
outstanding high-definition printout that approaches offset quality, delivers high productivity for on-demand,
small-volume print jobs, and realizes excellent durability and reliability.
Laser Unit

Overview of imagePRESS Digital Color Presses

Canons imagePRESS produces printout using the electrophotographic printing method ( P.14). It delivers the
high-precision registration needed for professional color on-demand printing and incorporates a flexible inter-

Employs a low-spread red twin-beam laser

to write images at 1,200 dpi 1,200 dpi
in 256 gradations, achieving high-definition
printout

mediate transfer belt capable of accommodating a variety of print media and dual fixing to achieve uniform
print speed for all output.

The iPR Controller, the heart of Canons

imagePRESS digital color press, integrates a dual-core CPU and graphics
engine into a single dedicated LSI chip
( P.56). The controller features
expanded memory and two 80GB
large-capacity hard drives

First Fixing Unit/Second Fixing Unit

Performs dual-path fixing of the toner onto the
paper. Paper initially passes through the first
fixing unit, which utilizes a fixing roller and
pressure belt, and then through the second fixing unit, which uses fixing and pressing rollers
X

iPR Controller ( P.37)

Dual Fixing System

Intermediate Transfer Belt

Transfers the image from the photosensitive drums to the paper in a
single step for each of the four toner colors. Uses a flexible resin belt to
support a wide range of different paper types
X

Auto-Registration

Photosensitive Drum
Toner adheres to areas scanned by laser beams to form images
on paper

Color Reproduction Comparable with Offset Printing

V-Toner
Canons V (Vivid-color) Toner is specially designed for use
with the imagePRESS digital color press. Averaging 5.5 m*1
in diameter, V-Toner has evenly dispersed wax and pigment
within the toner particles to achieve color reproduction
comparable with the quality achieved in offset printing.
By improving its thermal fusing performance, V-Toner also

*1 m (micrometer)
1 m = one millionth of a
meter

42

provides optimized gloss that harmonizies with a variety of

media to achieve uniform gloss output.
Additionally, Canons newly developed T (Tough) Carrier,
which, along with V-Toner, comprises the developing agent,
creates a synergy with V-Toner that results in smooth
images with less graininess.

Conventional Toner and

Conventional Carrier

V-Toner (enlarged image)

Comparison of Developing Agent

V-Toner and T Carrier

Accurate Image Positioning During Duplex Printing

Auto-Registration
Input

During duplex printing, the paper shrinks slightly due

to the heat that is applied to fix the image to the front
surface. To prevent paper shrinkage from affecting the
printing position, Canon uses 2nd Image Size Reduction to
create a slightly smaller image on the back surface so that
the printed image size is identical on both the front and
back surfaces of the paper.
[Function not applied]
Front

[Function applied]

Back

Front

Back

Output

To ensure proper post-press processes, such as paper

cutting and book binding, the imagePRESS must realize
high-precision image positioning on the paper. Canon uses
three Auto-Registration functions for increased imagepositioning accuracy.
First, Active Registration uses skew-feed rollers to push
fed paper against the side reference plate to ensure proper
alignment with the image printing direction.
Next, on the intermediate transfer belt, the Registration
Patch sensor detects a patch printed at the leading edge
of the transfer image. By controlling the transport timing
of the paper, this function ensures accurate print positioning between the
Corrects paper
leading and trailorientation
ing edges of the PaperPaper
feeding
paper.
direction

Paper shrinks due to heat from xing

during printing on front surface.

[Front surface printing]

The A' (back surface) is printed

slightly smaller than the A (front
surface) to achieve the same
print size on both sides.
The paper returns to its original size
when cooled.

[Back surface printing]

Skew-feed roller

Exposure

Side-reference plate

Active Registration

Overview of 2nd Image Size Reduction

Dual Path Achieves Uniform Print Speed for All Media

Dual Fixing System
Optical / Medical

sheets per minute (A4, landscape) for media types of varying thicknesses.
*2 Type of paper
Dual-path route
For coated paper, embossed paper
and plain paper over 150 g/m2

Second fixing
unit

First fixing
unit
Bypass route
For plain paper of 150 g/m2 or less

Dual Fixing System

A wide variety of paper is

used in commercial printing, including coated paper
and art paper in addition to
general-use premium-grade
paper, medium-quality paper,
and recycled paper. The varying thicknesses of these,
along with multiple processing techniques, make for a
diverse range of paper types.

Fundamental

Canons imagePRESS handles thick and coated paper

through a two-path system employing two fixing units.
The paper initially passes through the first fixing unit,
which utilizes a fixing roller and a pressure belt, and then
through the second fixing unit, which uses fixing and
pressure rollers, to realize high-luster printout. Paper that
does not require dual fixing, such as thin or recycled paper,
passes through the first fixing unit only.
By automatically adjusting the paper path according
to the type of paper,*2 the imagePRESS produces uniform
surface luster and maintains a consistent print speed of 70

Real-Time Control of Image Density

New ARCDAT*3
In addition, the digital density correction function automatically controls the light intensity of the main scanning
laser for significantly improved image-density uniformity.

Environmental

Patch (Y)
YY

Bk
1st sheet

Patch (M)

Patch (Bk)
Y

Bk

Patch (C)

2nd sheet

1st sheet

Calibration based on correction data (Y, M)

Future

The imagePRESS employs Canons proprietary New

ARCDAT real-time calibration system to maintain stable
color output for large-volume, multiple-page printing jobs.
By detecting the density of a patch on each photosensitive drum, the technology corrects for deviations from ideal
density to maintain a constant halftone density. The New
ARCDAT system controls all the preinstalled screen patterns for reproducing gradations and continually measures
the absolute values of tone and density deviations. This
makes possible the real-time control of image density,
enabling the maintenance of a constant density without
compromising productivity.
The Automatic Toner Replenisher (ATR), which constantly monitors toner replenishing status, also controls density
to match changes in internal temperature and humidity
based on video count information from the controller and
data from sensors in the developing unit and photosensitive drums.

Bk
3rd sheet

2nd sheet

1st sheet

Calibration based on correction data (C, Bk)

Overview of New ARCDAT Control

*3 ARCDAT
Automatic and Reciprocal
Color Density Adjustment
Technology

43

Supporting the Evolution of the Semiconductor Industry

Semiconductor Exposure Equipment

Semiconductors are constantly evolving, achieving ever-higher levels of performance and functionality. Amid
this evolution, circuit line widths continue to shrink, decreasing from 45 nm to 32 nm. Canon, through its
semiconductor exposure equipment, meets the strict cutting-edge demands of the industry while focusing
on the development of future technologies. These technologies serve as the driving force behind Canon's
optical and control technologies.
Reticle changer

Overview of Semiconductor Exposure Equipment

Semiconductor exposure equipment prints circuit patterns onto silicon wafers using reduced projection exposure. These tools play a vital role in the manufacture of semiconductor chips, a procedure
that requires several hundred processes. Because these tools step from one chip to the next to
expose the several hundred chip patterns on a single wafer, they are also called steppers.

In semiconductor production, the process

of exposure, developing, and processing is
repeated dozens of times. Accordingly, the
reticle changer enables the storage of multiple reticles

Reticle/Reticle stage
The reticle, also called a photomask, is a glass (quartz)
substrate on which the circuit pattern to be exposed is
drawn. The reticle stage secures the reticle and moves
in synchronization with the wafer stage
X

Stage Synchronization Control Technology

Wafer stage
Holds the wafer in place and moves sequentially in synchronization with the reticle stage
X

Stage Synchronization Control Technology

Projection optics
Combines cutting-edge optical technologies to
achieve extremely low aberration
X

Immersion Exposure Technology

Light source
The light source illuminates the circuit pattern
Light
on the reticle, using ultraviolet-range light with
i-line
wavelengths shorter than visible light (i-line lamp,
KrF excimer laser
KrF/ArF excimer lasers)

ArF excimer laser

Wavelength
365 nm
248 nm
193 nm

Achieving Microscopic Processes with Ultra-Pure Water

Immersion Exposure Technology

*1 NA (Numerical Aperture)
Index of the resolution capability of a lens, calculated by
taking the sin of the maximum angle of incidence of
a beam of light focused on
the focal point multiplied by
the refractive index of the
medium. The value can be
thought of as an indicator of
the brightness of a lens.
*2 nm (nanometer)
1 nm = one billionth of a
meter

44

Responding to the shrinking geometry of semiconductor

devices requires either reducing the wavelength of the
exposure light or increasing the numerical aperture (NA*1)
of the projection optics. Since NA is proportional to the
refractive index (n) of the medium between the projection
optics and wafer, the use of ultra-pure water (n=1.44)
instead of air, for example, enables an NA that is 1.44
times greater than the level previously thought unsurpassable. The application of this principle led to the development of immersion lithography technology.
Using this technology, the minimum circuit line width
possible using an ArF excimer laser (193-nm *2 wavelength), which provides the shortest wavelength available
for todays lens optics, can be reduced beyond the previous
limit of 65 nm. By enabling the miniaturization of feature
sizes without major changes to existing production facilities, immersion lithography technology makes it possible to
reduce the burden of such costs as capital investment.
Canon has developed an original liquid film flow (LFF)

immersion method to achieve the stable formation of an

ultra-pure water film between the projection optics and
wafer. Canon's FPA-7000AS7 immersion exposure system
employs the LFF method and incorporates catadioptric
projection optics with the world's highest NA of 1.35.
Canon continues to carry out research and development
aimed at surpassing current wavelength limits, including
the search for liquids offering a higher refractive index to
replace ultra-pure water and research into a new process
technology called double patterning.
Ultra-pure
water
recovery

Projection optics

Ultra-pure
water
supply

Silicon wafer
Wafer stage

Liquid Film Flow Immersion Method Using Ultra-Pure Water

Achieving High Yield Rates and High Productivity of Semiconductors

Stage Synchronization Control Technology

*3 Scan and repeat method

A method of exposure
in which both the reticle
and wafer stages move.
Compared with the step and
repeat method, in which only
the wafer stage moves, this
approach offers the merits of
greater depth of focus while
facilitating larger chip sizes.

Output

circuit lines would not be possible. Commencing with the

FPA-7000 series, Canon has mounted two wafer stages,
achieving both high precision and high throughput by
enabling the parallel operation of wafer-surface measurement and exposure for each stage.
Both stages and the lens are supported against vibration and driven without contact by linear motors. Both
stages are 6-axis fine-drive stages and the lens contains
multiple self-adjusting mechanisms. As such, the total
number of axes subject to synchronization control within
the system exceeds 100. Changes in position for each axis
are measured by Canon's high precision sensing technology and controlled by dedicated control algorithms.
Both stages use a drive reactive force cancellation
mechanism with counter masses that move in the opposite
direction for vibration-free acceleration to achieve precise
position control.

Input

*4 Wafer flatness
Not only the curvature of the
wafer surface as a whole, but
even slight imperfections of
only a few nanometers within
a single shot area (about
20 mm2) can create problems.

Exposure

Among the technologies supporting the manufacture of

semiconductors, synchronization control technology is as
important as circuit miniaturization technology. The precision of stage positioning has a direct effect on yield rates,
while stage speed affects productivity as measured by
hourly "throughput."
Semiconductor exposure equipment which uses the
scan and repeat method*3 carries out wafer exposure while
continually synchronizing the movements of the wafer and
reticle stages. Ensuring the accurate positioning of reticle
patterns on the wafer during exposure with proper focus
and uniform light intensity requires the extremely precise
control of all moving sections.
To achieve ultra-fine line widths of 45 nm, the flatness
of the wafer*4 also must not be overlooked. If the positioning of both stages and the lens is not corrected for each
shot in accordance with even the slightest inconsistencies
on the surface of the wafer, the exposure of microscopic

Supporting Total Productivity Improvement

Exposure Equipment Application Platform
*5 EES (Equipment

At present, this platform is being applied to the FPA- Engineering System)

7000 series and future plans include linking it with a Linking not only with exposure equipment but also with
"recipe server"*6 to develop it into a solutions system.

Equipment control system

Recipe server

Cell controller

Coating/
developing
equipment

Wafer
measurement
equipment

Equipment engineering
system (EES)
Various
applications
Application platform

*6 Recipe server
Makes possible the creation
and editing of "recipes" (control information) for wafer
exposure for each piece of
equipment and can be linked
to a production management
system.

Fundamental

Role of Applications

peripheral equipment is indispensable for improving precision and productivity in semiconductor manufacturing. EES
provides a system and interface for data sharing.

Optical / Medical

Semiconductor exposure equipment software not only

achieves maximum performance from the hardware, but
also plays a vital role by contributing to increasing total
productivity. The application platform that forms the core
of the software system is composed of an infrastructure
connecting multiple CPUs/OSs and a plug-in framework
that supports basic control and data management, making it possible to rapidly adapt to the needs of diversifying
semiconductor manufacturers.
Not only does this technology provide a common platform for semiconductor manufacturers' various online,
GUI, EES,*5 and other interfaces, but by opening these to
external access, it allows access and precise control of all
kinds of internal and external data and makes providing
solutions simple.

Achieving Next-Generation Semiconductors Smaller than 30 nm

Next-Generation Exposure Technology
Organization) next-generation semiconductor materials
and process technology development project, MIRAI. The
equipment is being used in pattern transfer characterization for next-generation mask substrate technology development with outstanding results.

Environmental

Mask stage
EUV mask
Illumination
system

*7 EUV
Extreme Ultraviolet

Projection
system
EUV light source

Wafer stage
Vacuum and environment control system

Source: EUVA website (http://www.euva.or.jp/)

EUV Exposure Equipment Projection Optics System

*8 SFET (Small Field

Exposure Tool)
Installed at the Super Clean
Room facility in Tsukuba, an
industry-academic-government cooperative research
center. The tool has achieved
the worlds top-class resolution of 26 nm (half-pitch).

Future

Canon is conducting research into exposure equipment

that uses short wavelength EUV*7 light as the basis for
future technology.
Because EUV has a short wavelength of 13.5 nm and
cannot use lens-based refractive optical systems, it uses
reflective optics employing ultra-high-precision multilayer-coated mirrors. Further, because EUV light does not
travel through air, it was necessary to develop a variety of
elemental technologies, such as device technology to put
the entire device in a vacuum, ultra-precision engineering technology for the mirrors ( P.63), nanometer-order
positioning technology, and environmental control technologies to prevent contamination.
Canon has developed an EUV small field exposure tool
(SFET*8) that incorporates a two-mirror projection system,
and supplied this to Selete (Semiconductor Leading-Edge
Technologies) as experimental equipment for NEDOs
(New Energy and Industrial Technology Development

45

Ultra Large-Scale Exposure Technology for Manufacturing Large Screen LCD Televisions

Mirror Projection Aligners

Large-screen LCD televisions are enjoying widespread popularity. LCD panels, a key component of LCD televisions, are created with technology that precisely exposes minute pixel circuits over a wide area on largescale glass substrates. Canon mirror projection aligners can accommodate 8th-generation glass substrate
sizes, making possible the single-exposure production of widescreen TVs up to 57 inches in size. Canon is
the leading manufacturer of this equipment.
Overview of Mirror Projection Aligners
Mirror projection aligners transfer fine pixel patterns onto a glass substrate to create liquid
crystal display panels for displays and televisions. Canon mirror projection aligners (mask
aligners) employ the companys original mirror-scanning method for optical mirror projection.

Mask
Original plate for projection exposure
of pixel circuit patterns onto glass
substrates

Mask stage
The stage that secures the mask and moves
sequentially in synchronization with the
substrate stage

Mirror projection optical

system
Composed of a trapezoidal mirror, a concave
mirror, and a convex mirror. The optical system
ensures seamless wide-field exposure
X

Large Concave Mirror

Glass substrate
The glass substrate measures six or eight panels
in size. The size differs according to the generation of the substrate. At present, 8th generation
substrates are the largest in size, measuring
2,200 x 2,500 mm (with a thickness of 0.7 mm)

Substrate stage
Light source

Glass substrates are secured to the stage by vacuum

adsorption. The stage moves in synchronization with the
mask stage
X

*1 World's largest diameter

As of October 2008
*2 m (micrometer)
1 m = one millionth of a
meter, or 0.001 mm
*3 8th-generation
Ongoing changes in the size
of glass substrates are represented as "generations."
The larger the substrate, the
better suited it is for producing large panels. Productivity
also increases as a single substrate yields multiple panels,
so the number of generations
has risen rapidly. Currently,
the 8th generation represents
the cutting edge of the industry, with the next generation
expected to be the 10th
generation. Development of
equipment to accommodate
next-generation substrates is
also being carried out.

46

Ultra-high-pressure mercury
lamp. Uses three wavelengths
(g-, h-, i-line) in the UV range

Ultra-Large Stage

Manufacturing High-Precision Mirrors with the World's Largest Diameter*1

Large Concave Mirror
Canon mirror projection aligners employ a mirror-scanning method that makes use of a mirror-based projection
optical system. The system offers such merits as a simple
configuration facilitating increases in substrate size, a wide
exposure field, no chromatic aberration, which can occur
with lenses, and no image performance degradation.
Pattern exposure processes for LCD panels are carried
out with a precision of several m.*2 The projection mirror used in the system also requires high precision. Large
concave mirrors in particular, with a large diameter to realize an exposure width capable of exposing large panels
seamlessly in a single pass, enable significant increases
in productivity. By making use of extremely high-precision
processing technologies ( P.63), Canon has succeeded
in developing the world's largest diameter concave mirror,
a 1,514 mm 8th-generation*3 ultra-high precision concave
mirror with a surface processing accuracy of 0.015 m. The
mirror makes possible a resolving power of 3 m across
the entire exposure field.

Large-Diameter High-Precision Concave Mirror (1,514 mm

diameter)

Exposing Large Scale Substrates at a Speed of 750 mm per Second

Ultra-Large Stage
Input

The high-performance and high-speed operation of the

ultra-large stage allows it to attain a high throughput of
323 panels per hour for 55-inch wide panels.

Output
Exposure

Canons latest mirror projection aligner measures 9 m

(width) x 11.6 m (depth) x 5.8 m (height). The main body
of the unit weighs 100 metric tons, with the moving mask
stage weighing 1 ton and the substrate stage weighing 4
tons, making the aligner Canon's largest product. As the
size of LCD substrates increases, the weight of the moveable parts has also increased. Because increased weight
tends to impair the performance of the stages, Canon
selects materials with a low specific gravity and strong
rigidity in order to develop ultra-large stages that reduce
overall weight while maintaining component strength.
The substrate stage and mask stage are each maintained by air bearings and are driven by non-contact linear
motors. The comparatively light mask stage follows the
comparatively heavy substrate stage for completely synchronized "master slave control." The drive performance
of the substrate stage realizes an extremely high level of
precision, achieving a speed of 750 mm per second in just
0.5 seconds upon moving, and comes to a complete stop
in a mere 0.2 seconds upon arriving at the stop position.
Both stages utilize positional measuring technology using
a laser interferometer to control position and speed. (
P.61)

Mirror Projection Aligner for 8th-generation Glass Substrate

Sizes

Optical / Medical

Group Company Technology Canon ANELVA Corporation

Supporting the Film Deposition Process for Large Panels

Vacuum Deposition Technology
*4 Vacuum deposition
Thin films (thickness of 1 m
or less) are commonly formed
on a physical surface by either
electroplating or vacuum
deposition. Vacuum deposition,
which takes place in a vacuum, facilitates the controlling
of the films thickness during
formation. Methods of vacuum
deposition include "vacuum
evaporation," in which the
film material is heated and
evaporated; "CVD," which
makes use of a chemical reaction with a gaseous film material; and "sputter," which uses
physical reactions.

Environmental

*5 Sputter deposition
When voltage is applied to a
glass substrate and film material (target) within a vacuum
containing argon or other inert
gas, the gas becomes ionized
(Ar+) and collides with the
target at high speed, causing
the atoms and molecules composing the target to be ejected
(the sputtering phenomenon).
The sputtered atoms and molecules adhere to the surface of
the substrate in a thin layer.

Future

Canon ANELVA Sputtering Equipment for LCDs

(C-3711 SERIES)

Fundamental

Vacuum deposition*4 technology, used in the wiring process during LCD panel production, forms a thin film in a
vacuum using the "sputter deposition"*5 method. This is a
film deposition method that uses the "sputtering phenomenon" to form a thin film of metal, such as the aluminum
and molybdenum used in transistor circuit wiring, on glass
substrates.
Since its founding, Canon ANELVA has developed original ultra-high vacuum technologies and produced film
deposition equipment for semiconductors, storage devices,
and panel devices. Canon ANELVA developed the ANELVA
System, a vertical transfer system for substrates during
the manufacture of LCD panels, which accommodates
upgrades in glass substrate generations while solving
such problems as substrate bowing, which would occur
in conventional horizontally-oriented transfer systems,
and equipment installation space. Further, Canon ANELVA
also developed the "rectangular split cathode," a unique
cathode configuration for sputtering that can expose two
substrates at once by consecutive deposition of three types
of film material (targets) in the same vacuum chamber. The
deposited film delivers uniformly superior quality and also
improves the usage rate of the target.
The equipment reduces panel costs while increasing
productivity within the rapidly growing LCD panel-production sector.

47

Optical Equipment
Canon technologies, based on the company's extensive experience as an optical equipment manufacturer,
play key roles in a wide range of fields, from high-resolution LCD projectors and HD television broadcast
zoom lenses to network cameras and the Subaru telescope capable of observing stars more than ten million
light years away. Canon's optical technologies effectively meet the demands of professional users for high
performance and rugged reliability wherever they are needed.

New Optical System Enables Compact Body with High Image Quality
AISYS (Aspectual Illumination System)
*1 Image display devices
LCD panels can be either
t ra n s m i s s i v e o r r e f l e c tive. Since drive circuits lie
between the pixels on transmissive panels, a grid-like pattern appears in the projected
image. With reflective panels,
the drive circuits are behind
the LCD elements, enabling
the panel to project a smooth,
seamless image.
*2 PBS
Polarization Beam Splitter
*3 Light leakage
Because of the polarized
nature of the light received
by the LCOS panels and the
PBS, light beams entering at
a high angle of incidence can
cause light leakage, resulting
in reduced contrast.
*4 Fly-eye lens
A lens composed of multiple
single lenses packed closely
together, both vertically and
horizontally, resembling a
fly's eye.

configuration successfully allows AISYS to control light

Canon has developed and now manufactures its own
independently.
LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon) reflective LCD panels for
The projection lamp in AISYS has been changed to an
use as image display devices*1 in LCD projectors. Although
AC lamp with high luminance efficiency, reducing the size
LCOS panels are ideal for displaying high-resolution imagand cost of the illumination optical system while attaining
es, because they must be used in tandem with a PBS,*2
the highest level of luminance in its class.
achieving brightness in a compact body design meant
sacrificing contrast. In order to overcome this drawback
commonplace in conventional optical sysSide view / Role of the optical system: Increase brightness, reduce size
tems, Canon developed its unique AISYS
optical system.
AISYS independently controls the light
from the light source in the vertical direction
to converge at a larger angle for enhanced
brightness, and the horizontal direction to
Lamp Explosion-proof Fly-eye lens
Condenser lens
PBS
LCOS panel
convex lens
converge at a smaller angle to prevent light
leakage*3 in the PBS and LCOS panel, resulting in high contrast performance.
Currently in its third generation, AISYS
now employs a concave fly-eye lens,*4 which
Top view / Role of the optical system: Increase contrast
has multiple lenses arrayed two-dimensionally and was newly developed for the
third-generation system. This simple lens Configuration of the AISYS Illumination Optical System
Illumination optics
Color separation/synthesis system

An optical structure that separates the

light from the illumination source into RGB
colors, guides them to three LCOS panels,
and then combines the images of each
color reflected from the LCOS panels

Polarizes the light from the projection lamp and directs it to the color
separation system while maintaining
both brightness and contrast. Utilizes
a fly-eye lens
Projection lamp

LCOS reflective LCD panels

Image display device for projected

images free of lattice-like grid
patterns

Projection lens

Large-aperture zoom lens

AISYS
Optical system composed of illumination optics, color
separation/synthesis system, and LCOS panels

LCD Projector Optical System

48

AC lamp with even illumination performance

World's Highest Class TV Broadcast Zoom Lenses with Autofocus Technology

Autofocus HDTV 100x Zoom Lens

Full-time AF allows professional camera operators to shoot

without touching the focus controller

Exposure

Relay broadcast of auto racing

Output

erties according to shooting conditions, and a digital servo

system that makes possible high-precision lens operation.
Canons latest broadcast zoom lens, the DIGISUPER
100AF, incorporates a proprietary autofocus system. By
employing a registration phase-detection sensor system,
the new model delivers high focusing accuracy that is
suitable for full high-definition video images, high tracking
capability to keep high-speed moving objects in focus, and
the ability to achieve focus rapidly from a completely defocused state. The DIGISUPER 100AF offers practical full-time
auto-focus (AF) that fulfills the demands of professional
HDTV camera operators.

Input

Canon television broadcast camera lenses are renowned

for their outstanding optical performance and exceptional
reliability. The flagship model of the lineup is the world's
first HDTV-compatible 100x zoom lens.
This lens incorporates optical element manufacturing
technologies such as ultra-low-dispersion (UD) new glass
material and fluorite, as well as optical design technology,
which takes maximum advantage of the characteristics of
these elements. Together, these technologies ensure ample
compensation for phenomena like chromatic aberration
and curvature of field while maintaining a practicable and
manageable lens size.
Standard built-in features include an Optical Shift Image
Stabilizer that allows users to change anti-vibration prop-

Optical / Medical

Examples of DIGISUPER 100AF in Use

Monitoring and Recording Remote Video over Networks

Network Cameras and Remote Video/Recording Software

Network video-recording software

Network video-recording software facilitates remote monitoring, enabling video images from up to 64 network cameras to be recorded simultaneously to a single recording
server. It also permits the integration of multiple recording
servers into a single system. Additionally, because the
video monitoring system uses LAN and the Internet, it can
be used to set up wide-area security systems or monitoring
systems for factories and stores.
The viewer enables the free layout of multiple image
displays, providing a sense of intuitive operation. Linking
with other systems is also possible through a network connection.

Environmental

High image-quality, advanced-function network

cameras
Canon network cameras are capable of transmitting VGA
video images (640 x 480 pixels) of up to 30 frames per
second to viewers and make possible high-resolution, lowillumination shooting. They include such intelligent functions as motion detection and image uploading, and can
be freely operated by remote control via an independent
viewer, enabling the shooting of high-impact images completely unlike those made possible with conventional fixed
cameras. Additionally, sending images to a small group of
viewers or establishing a monitoring system can be done
with ease.
The systems use the standard Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP)*5 to transmit camera-control information
and image data, ensuring compatibility with Internetrelated software.

Fundamental

Canon's VB series of network camera systems facilitates the easy operation and display of remote video images using a
web browser or dedicated viewer software.

Viewer PC

Internet

Example of a Network Camera System Configuration

Mobile phone

Future

Network camera

*5 HTTP
Hypertext transfer protocol.
Used for sending and receiving content data (HTML)
between web servers and
web browsers.

49

Optical Equipment
Canon Lens Technologies Support New Space Discoveries
The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru Telescope in Hawaii
Research institutes from around the world have placed space observatories at the summit of Mt. Mauna Kea on the Big
Island of Hawaii to use the world-class telescopes located there. Among these is the large Subaru telescope, operated by
the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
The Subaru telescope's most distinct feature is its primary focus, unprecedented among optical-infrared telescopes with
a diameter greater than eight meters and with a 30 arcmin field of view, equivalent to the diameter of the moon. The
excellent imaging performance of the built-in primary focus camera*1 has been used for the observation of distant astronomical bodies, the birth and development of galaxies,
Prime focus
and to investigate the large-scale structure of the universe,
Optical Cassegrain
secondary mirror
resulting in notable achievements and earning the Subaru
Prime focus
corrector
telescope the overwhelming confidence of astronomers
Optical Nasmyth
lens system
secondary mirror
Nasmyth
focus
worldwide. Canon's lens technology was used in the cor(optical)
rector lens system responsible for controlling the perforInfrared secondary
mance of this advanced primary focus.
mirror
From the first light of 1999, the Subaru telescope has
contributed to advances in astronomy. Canon is also planNasmyth focus
Primary
(infrared)
ning to develop a next-generation primary focus camera
mirror
Tertiary mirrors
(optical and
with an even wider field of vision. The Subaru telescope
infrared)
will continue to be an indispensable presence in future
Cassegrain focus
developments within the field of astronomy, and will surely
play a useful role in the explication of "dark energy,*2"
which represents the biggest challenge in astronomy today,
as well as in investigating the history of the galaxy.
Structure of the Subaru Telescope

*1 Primary focus camera (of

the Subaru telescope)
Nicknamed "Suprime-Cam."
A CCD camera equivalent to
an 80-megapixel digital camera.
*2 Dark energy
Approximately 96% of the
composition of the universe
is unknown, with 73%
being dark energy and the
remaining 23% dark matter.
Discovering the true nature
of dark energy is the greatest challenge facing 21st century astrophysics. This mystery
could possibly be solved using
galactic data collected by the
Subaru telescope.
*3 Atmospheric dispersion
Phenomenon where starlight
appears to disperse when it
enters the earth's atmosphere
caused by differences in
refractive indices.

50

Prime Focus Corrector Lens System for the

Subaru Telescope
The Subaru's primary focus has a shorter focal length
than the Cassegrain and other foci, allowing it to capture
bright images from a wide field of view. In conventionally
designed large-scale reflecting telescopes, it had not been
possible to install an optical system in the primary focus
because the resulting prime focus corrector lens system
would be too large. To address this issue, Canon developed a prime focus corrector lens system approximately
70% smaller and 50% lighter than conventional systems,
thus enabling its installation in the Subaru. This lens unit
comprises seven elements in five groups, weighs 170
kilograms, and offers a field area 25 times wider than the
Cassegrain focus (6 arcmin field view).
The lens system also accurately compensates for atmospheric dispersion*3 by employing two lenses that have the
same refractive index but are made of materials with different
dispersion characteristics. The lenses shift at right angles to
the optical axis to compensate for atmospheric dispersion, a
unique system created by Canon that has greatly reduced the
weight of the prime focus corrector lens system.

Mirror Surface Inspection Device

The Subaru telescope is a reflecting telescope that collects light reflected from the primary mirror (a single 8.2
meter-diameter mirror) at various focal points (primary,
Cassegrain, and Nasmyth focus). Although the shape of
the primary mirror may change due to its weight, with any
such alterations significantly affecting the degree of observation accuracy, the Subaru telescope is equipped with a
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor to adjust the distortion
of the primary mirror. Canon contributed significantly to
the development of this equipment.
In this system, the light beams collected at each focal
point are reflected from a mirror and passed through a collimator lens, which converts them into parallel beams that
are directed into a micro-lens array. The image formed on
each of the micro-lenses is then captured by the CCD, and
the main mirror surface is calibrated accordingly. The high
resolution of this device has made a significant contribution to the stability of the Subaru telescope's observation
capabilities.

Micro-lens
array

Collimator
lens

Primary mirror
focus

CCD

Atmospheric dispersion
correction lenses
Aspherical
lens

Compensates for
atmospheric dispersion
by shifting correction
lenses

When the primary mirror is deformed,

the positions of the images formed on
the lenses become displaced

Correct
light path
Light path when the primary mirror is
deformed (yellow)

Primary
mirror

Deformed primary mirror surface

(dotted line)

Actuators

Structure of the Prime Focus Corrector Lens System

Image of Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Equipment

Medical Equipment

Input

Canon uses its original optical and digital imaging technologies to supply devices that support digitization
and networking in the field of medicine. Canon's digital X-ray systems and ophthalmic equipment, which
simplify the diagnosis process, continue to play an increasingly important role in the medical industry.
Lending Strong Support to X-Ray Diagnosis
X-Ray Image Sensor
A major challenge in the development of the X-ray
image sensor was noise reduction technology. Canon
solved the problem with the development of a low-noise
IC, signal processing circuits, and power supplies, which
made possible an image sensor with a 43 cm x 43 cm
imaging area that achieves 7.2-megapixel resolution.
A preview image of the X-ray appears on the monitor
in only three seconds after exposure. Because the system
uses a universal interface and the installed control software conforms to the latest medical information transmission standards, X-ray images can be sent over an in-house
network to share information, and also transmitted outside
the hospital, enabling off-site diagnoses and emergency
care.

n-type amorphous
silicon

Exposure

X-rays

Output

X-ray procedures, vital to medical diagnoses, are progressively moving toward digital and online technologies. The
Canon CXDI series, which incorporates the companys
LANMIT*4 (Large Area New MIS Sensor and TFT) X-ray
image sensor, is a digital radiography device that makes
possible the acquisition of high-resolution medical image
data with low radiation exposure.
The flat-panel LANMIT is made up of a scintillator on
top of a photosensor and includes five layers, including
the scintillator and a layer of amorphous silicon. X-rays
passing through the human body are converted into visible light by the scintillator, which is then directly read
by the photosensor. Using cesium iodide (Csl), which has
high light-conversion efficiency, the scintillator makes possible both high-definition imaging and a reduction in the
required level of X-ray exposure.

Upper electrode
Amorphous
silicon

Scintillator
Silicon nitride lm

Cover CFRP

Scintillator
Array substrate

Glass substrate
Insulator

Structure of the Portable Type CXDI-50C

Lower electrode

Cross-Section of LANMIT

Optical / Medical

Shock-absorbing sheet
Aluminium sheet

*4 LANMIT
Canon began research and
development of LANMIT sensors in 1993, and in 1998
released the worlds first digital X-ray system to incorporate one (the CXDI series).

Fully Automated Precision Measurement of Intraocular Pressure

Fundamental

Fully Automatic Noncontact Tonometer

Featuring these technologies, Canon's fully automated

non-contact tonometer TX-F enables safe, precise tonometry with extremely simple operation. It is being adopted
not only by ophthalmic clinics, but also for use with regular
physical checkups and screening for adult-onset diseases.

Objective Lens
Air puff nozzle

View of the TX-F Noncontact Tonometer from the Patient's

Perspective with Enlarged View of Nozzle Portion

*5 Intraocular pressure
The pressure of intraocular fluid inside the eyeball.
Abnormal intraocular pressure, which leads to glaucoma and other disorders, is
one of the leading causes of
vision loss.

Future

1. Rough auto-alignment drive technology that quickly and

safely identifies the patient's eye within a wide field of
view
2. Fine auto-alignment drive technology that quickly and
precisely identifies the correct position of the apex of
the cornea even with eye movement
3. Safe drive-control technology that avoids the hazards of
positioning the air puff nozzle too close to the patient's
eye

4. 3D-drive technology to ensure the smooth transport of

the measurement unit (objective lens)

Environmental

The measurement of intraocular pressure,*5 essential in

ophthalmic treatment, is performed by measuring pressure at the cornea. The procedure is carried out using a
non-contact tonometer, which places an air puff nozzle
built into the center of an objective lens very close to the
surface of the patient's eye. A puff of air is blown at the
center of the cornea and measurements are taken. With
conventional manual systems, tracking the movements of
the patient's eye to determine correct alignment proved
difficult and relied on the experience of the operator.
To enable the full automation of the intraocular pressure measurement procedure, Canon developed the following technologies:

51

Platform Technologies
As network environments evolve, IT continues to advance at a rapid rate. To keep pace, Canon is working
to enhance its platform technologies, in which IT is structured by elemental technology and shared. Sharing
cutting-edge digital technologies among various products, the company achieves faster product development and improved quality.

Achieving Unified Color Quality Across Devices

Color Management Technology
Since input and output devices differ in the range of colors that each is capable of reproducing, in the past, colors appearing on displays and in printout were often inconsistent with the colors of the original input image.
Canon has been engaged in activities to achieve high image quality and consistent color reproduction performance in
various input and output devices. The company has applied its wealth of expertise in image measurement and evaluation
technologies, as well as image processing technology, to accurately reproduce original colors, assign quantitative values to
preferred colors, and establish target colors as Canon Unified High-Quality Colors. The company has also developed design
and evaluation tools to achieve such goals, and has created an integrated image-development environment. These are currently used in almost every category of Canon imaging device.
Canon has further developed this technology to create Kyuanos, a high-accuracy color management system (CMS).
This system provides accurate color matching with reduced color difference by taking into consideration such factors as
lighting conditions and print media characteristics, which have a significant impact on how colors appear.
Kyuanos high-accuracy color management system
Accurate color matching requires a device profile (color
design data) for each combination of input/output device
and paper media. Conventional technology demands a tremendous investment of time and effort for the creation of
these profiles. With Kyuanos, however, profiles can be set
up automatically, making it easy to achieve high-accuracy
color matching that satisfies professional requirements.
The color reproduction range of input/output devices
has expanded in recent years, making it difficult to correctly reproduce colors using the conventional 8-bit and
sRGB standard color space. Kyuanos offers an extended
color space for 16-bit and 32-bit formats that allow for
maximum input and output performance without color
space restrictions. This enables the reproduction of exceptionally vivid colors with rich gradation.
Another feature of Kyuanos is support for different lighting environments. Kyuanos is able to numerically convert
colors based on human perception, lighting characteristics
(fluorescent or incandescent lighting) that significantly
affect how images appear, and the color reproduction
characteristics of the devices. Using this data to convert
images enables color consistency even in different lighting
environments.

Displays (sRGB)

Laser beam printers

Inkjet printers

Differences in color reproduction between input and output

devices

Ofce

Home

Without Kyuanos: Poster colors look different under different lighting

Ofce

Home

With correction for ambient light by Kyuanos: Poster colors look

identical even under different lighting

Difference in how posters look with Kyuanos

52

Achieving Connectivity in Digital Devices

Communication Network Technology
Input

Canon is currently developing communication network technologies that provide a cross-media communication environment in which input/output devices such as printers and digital cameras can easily be connected to a network, anytime
and anywhere.

Service server

Ofce

Mobile terminal

Automation from device connection to service execution and

standard technologies (example: LAN connection)
Auto connection (easy setup)
Network connection (IPv6)

Output

L AN

High-speed wireless
communication technology

Internet

Service search (DLNA/UPnP)

L AN

L AN

Service connection
Service capability adjustment

Home

Automatic device
connection technology

Service (Internet)
Home ofce

Fundamental
Environmental

High-Speed Video-Communication Technology

Transmitting video images among networked devices
requires technologies capable of controlling signals affected by external factors and transmission quality. Canons
high-speed video-communication technology enables the
networking of high-definition video images and high-quality audio signals, and also facilitates high-speed transfer
while preserving high-definition image quality.
Furthermore, the company is working on the development of Remote Communication Technology to provide
a more lifelike communication experience between remote
locations over a network.

Device Automatic Connection Technology

Connection automation technology includes standards
such as DLNA*1 and directory services.*2 However, these
standards are often incompatible and there is no unified
method to integrate them. Although communication is not
possible between different standards, it is also difficult for
devices using the same standard to connect automatically
over a wide-area network.
While there is hope for free network connection among
all devices, users currently must employ different types of
communication software and settings for various standards because of multiple communication standards on
the Internet.
Canon is developing a variety of input and output
devices in an attempt to create a device interconnection
system. Accordingly, the company is working on the development of software for automatically connecting devices
using different standards over a wide-area network with
the aim of quickly resolving inconveniences faced by users.
The company is also keeping an eye on evolving trends in
network technology, and conducting development for the
next generation.

Optical / Medical

High-Speed Wireless Communication Technology

High-speed wireless communication technology provides a
communication environment that can be used anytime and
anywhere. Canon has been working on improving communication performance by focusing on the embedding of
such standard communication technologies as Bluetooth,
Wireless LAN (IEEE802.1 1b/g/a/n), and Wireless USB into
cameras, printers, and other products. Now developed as a
common platform, this technology has been optimized for
and inplemented in Canon products.
Other activities Canon is working on include the development of next-generation wireless technologies and
middleware to provide easier and more secure wireless
connections, and the standardization of wireless technology.

Exposure

High-Speed Wireless Communication Technology and Device Automatic Connection Technology

*1 DLNA (Digital Living

Network Alliance)
DLNA refers to both an organization and guidelines for
promoting standardization
for the exchange of data
between home appliances,
mobile devices, PCs, and other
electronic equipment.

Future

*2 Directory service
A directory service is a network management system
that, among other functions,
enables users to manage and
search for positional information of devices connected to
a network.

53

Platform Technologies
Promoting Logical Data Compatibility
XML Technology

*1 Markup language
Markup languages describe
the meaning and structure
of documents and data by
embedding specific text
strings called tags. Other
markup languages include
HTML and SGML. XML is
derived from SGML.
*2 W3C
The W3C, or World Wide Web
Consortium, is an organization promoting the standardization of technology used on
the WWW.
*3 Web application
Web applications are programs that use web functions. When a user makes a
request, the server provides
a mechanism that generates
and provides content.
*4 Open XML (Office Open
XML)
Open XML, an XML-based file
format, is the default format
of Microsoft Office 2007.
Open XML specifications have
been approved as an international standard by the ISO.

XML is a markup language*1 used as a format for providing logical data compatibility to simplify the sharing of structured
documents and data between different information systems. It has become more familiar in recent years for its use in terrestrial digital broadcasting data and map data used by the Geographical Survey Institute. While working to address the
challenges of improving XML processing performance in products, Canon is developing XML technology with an eye to the
future.
Binary XML Technology
Binary XML technology is a technology that expresses textbased XML in a binary format that computers can directly
understand. Binarization, which reduces the size of XML to
less than 20 percent of its original size and boosts performance by at least five times, is essential when using XML
in compact products. However, because each manufacturer uses a different binarization method, interoperability,
which is one of the benefits of XML, is sacrificed.
Canon is promoting the formulation of standard binary
XML specifications by the W3C,*2 which is expected to
prevail in the near future. The company is also developing methods for compression and encoding of structural
patterns optimized for XML data used in such areas as
2D graphic language, and is working to apply these to
maximize XML processing performance in Canon imaging
devices.

Device Communication using Atom Protocol

Many services, such as map and photo-sharing, are now
provided as web applications.*3 Web applications use a
standard web interface called the Atom protocol to send
and receive contents.
Canon is developing software to enable products such
as MFPs and digital cameras to communicate directly with
web applications using the Atom protocol. The company
will continue to promote services that integrate devices
with the Internet while working to support such security functions as electronic signatures, encryption, and user
authentication in XML.
Microsoft
XPS

Microsoft
Open XML*4

Adobe
Mars

Microsoft OPC

Oasis
ODF

Adobe UCF
ZIP (standard)
XML (standard)

Standard XML-based OpenDocument technologies to be

supported

Providing a Rich and Intuitive Feel

User Interface (UI) Platform Technology
UI technology for improving operability plays an important role in bringing out the function and performance potential of a
device to differentiate products from those of competitors. As functions become more enhanced and more diverse, Canon
is developing technology for progressive and easy-to-use UIs to make products more competitive. The company is also
working on creating an environment for more efficient designs, such as technology to speed up the product-development
process.

*5 SVG (Scalable Vector

Graphics)
SVG is a vector graphics format, as opposed to a raster
graphics format such as GIF
and JPEG in which images
are composed of a grid of
pixels, or points. SVG is an
XML-based markup language
for quantitatively describing
such geometrical shapes as
Bezier curves and rectangles
as vector graphics. The format
allows graphics to be resized
freely without deteriorating
image quality. Additionally,
colors and shapes can easily
be altered simply by rewriting
part of the markup description.

54

SVG UI Technology
SVG*5 is a vector-based graphic format. Using SVG, Canon
aims to provide more attractive graphical user interfaces
(GUI) that are easier to use.
In addition to graphics- and text-rendering capabilities, SVG also incorporates filter effects for blurring and
shading graphics, and animation features for altering the
position and color of graphics according to time. Canon is
making use of these characteristics to develop next-generation UI technology with rich expression such as animation-based visual effects and scalable displays regardless
of display size.
Speech UI Technology
Speech technology is becoming increasingly popular in the
UI technology field. To make products more user-friendly
and easier to operate, Canon provides environments for
automatic operation executed by the users voice and for
operating products according to voice guidance.
Canons speech-recognition engine can accurately recognize voice commands even without registering the users

voice in advance. It is also robust to noise, and realizes the

industrys highest level of speech-recognition performance.
Moreover, Canons speech-synthesis engine for converting text to voice provides the industrys most natural and
clearest voice synthesis in the field of embedded products.
These speech-recognition and synthesis engines from
Canon are used in such products as network digital MFPs.

User:
From one-sided
to duplex

Copier:
From one-sided
to duplex

(VoiceMaster)

(PureTalk)

Operating a Copying Machine with Speech Recognition and

Voice Guidance

Searching for Similar Images and Video Clips

Image Retrieval Technology
Input

The widespread popularity of digital cameras and video camcorders has led to more opportunities to shoot and store
digital photos and video, a greater number of exchanges over the Internet, and increased database usage. Canons image
retrieval technology enables users to quickly and accurately search large volumes of data to intuitively retrieve images
without the use of keywords.

Output

Video data

Key frame
Detection of scene changes

Image to be searched
Stores
image data
Image
database

Still image data

Stores
extracted
characteristics

Comparison
of similarities

Search results

Optical / Medical

Video Retrieval Technology for Similar Images

Through advances in image retrieval technology, the system
can detect any number of scene changes, even with scenes
containing rapid changes, and automatically generate the
corresponding number of representative key frames. When
a video clip (represented by a still image) is selected, key
frames from similar scenes are searched and the results
are displayed, enabling users to quickly find specific scenes
even amid large volumes of video image data.

Key frame

Exposure

Image Retrieval Technology

Image retrieval technology facilitates the searching of
similar images from an image database. Users search by
first selecting a still image, and then setting priority levels
for three characteristics: color, pattern regularity, and composition. Enlarged and reduced images as well as images
captured from different angles can also be searched if
they are relevant to the selected reference image. Search
results are displayed as a list and can be narrowed down
so that users can quickly locate the desired images.
Canon incorporated this technology into its imageWARE
Secure Audit Manager ( P.41) to prevent information
leaks through network digital MFPs. Leaks can be checked
from user information regarding print, copy, and fax jobs
and image characteristics.

Shows images and replays scenes

Overview of Still-image and Video Retrieval Technology

Fundamental

Real-Time Embedded Operating System

DRYOS
Canon has also developed various kinds of middleware
for the file system and device drivers that support USB for
diversified digital products. By developing platform software in-house, Canon can promote the reuse and sharing
of software modules while quickly addressing the trend
toward high-performance, high-functionality devices.

*6 Real-time operating system

An operating system that
processes in real time. Such
operating systems are often
embedded in devices.
*7 Kernel
The core part of an operating
system that manages system
resources such as the CPU,
memory, and peripherals,
and provides basic functions
to ensure that hardware and
software run efficiently.

Future

DRYOS Module Hierarchy

Environmental

DRYOS is an embedded real-time operating system*6 developed by Canon for use in compact devices and employed
in Canon products such as digital cameras and digital
video camcorders. The kernel module*7, the core of DRYOS,
facilitates customization to meet the needs of the device
and hardware resources, and features a flexible structure
that can be expanded in size from a minimum of 16 kilobytes. It currently supports more than 10 types of embedded CPUs, also supporting the use of an OS simulation
development environment on PCs, making it possible to
conduct product development without using actual prototype devices.

55

Platform Technologies
Ensuring Efficient Development of Large-Scale System LSI
System LSI Integrated Design Environment
Canon develops its own system LSIs,*1 single-chip ICs that contain all system components, including the hardware and
software necessary to run the device. These system LSIs are tiny chips of only several square millimeters or centimeters, but
they contain extremely large systems and are important components that determine a products functions. Since the 1990s,
Canon has been ahead of other companies in the development of system LSIs, developing LSIs such as DIGIC ( P.23), the
iR Controller ( P.37), and L-COA ( P.32), to reduce the size and increase the functionality of products.
Development of LSIs combining multiple functions requires collaboration among many engineers and an efficient development environment. Canon has developed a highly efficient system LSIs integrated design environment that consolidates
the entire development process, from specification study to physical design.

MayDay
WEB
GUI

Compute farm
Conguration
management

Project management environment

Defect management
IP support system

*2 IP
Intellectual Property

Security control environment

*1 System LSI
A System LSI is a large-scale
integrated circuit that contains functions provided by
the CPU, memory, and dedicated LSI on a single chip.
System LSIs realize faster
operation because there
is no need for the wiring
required when using multiple
chips. Furthermore, the area
taken up on a circuit board is
reduced, making it possible to
reduce the size of the circuit
board, resulting in a more
compact device.

Design support environment

Project management environment
The project management environment targets personnel
To support LSI design, Canon has developed MayDay, a
such as designers and project leaders. Defect management
unique design support tool. MayDay, an easy to underenables the sharing of bug information for each project
stand web-based tool, supports communication and job
and linking to development flows, with multi-conditional
progress for each member of a development team, which
search and tracking features. In the IP*2 support system,
may include several hundred people. The compute farm
underlying MayDay automatically activates the tool, manfunctions that can be shared among multiple products are
aging a license pool for numerous CPUs and tools, and
registered in a database as programs (IP core). Promoting
distributes the appropriate computing servers and licenses
the reuse of registered IP cores reduces the number of supaccording to the demand for such resources. Configuration
port processes and helps shorten development time.
management allows the easy reuse of design assets by
making possible the management of design-results files
and entire directories needed for compilations
and simulations.
MayDay (design support environment)
Shared database
Design
database

Statistical
database

Management
database

Overview of System LSI Development

Analyzing Phenomena to Predict Product Performance

Simulation Technologies
During product development, simulation technologies used to analyze phenomena and predict product performance support technological research and enable the shortening of development times.
Simulating the electrophotographic process
The electrophotographic process used to form images
in laser beam printers and copying machines consists of
charging, exposure, latent image, development, transfer,
fixing, and cleaning. Each of these processes, vital for
forming images, entails multiple and complex phenomena
that until now were difficult to model mathematically.
Canon developed its own simulation technologies for
these electrophotographic processes, enabling technological innovation and ensuring improved product-development efficiency.

Simulation of inkjet heads

When developing inkjet print heads, the structure of the
nozzles, which ensure the optimal ejection of ink droplets,
is a critical design point. Canon developed a simulation
program for calculating ink ejection phenomena, which
was then applied successfully to calculate ejection behavior based on nozzle structures and drive conditions. The
program has made it possible to identify the relationship
between nozzle structures and ejection characteristics
before prototyping, enabling the short-cycle development
of high-performance print heads.

Photosensitive drum

Transfer medium

Example of Simulated Transfer Process for Copying Machines

56

Simulation of Ink Droplet Ejection

Analyzing Device Operating Mechanisms

In-Process Visualization Technology
Input

In-process visualization technology enables the direct observation (optical observation) of the processes that take place
within actual devices to reveal their operating mechanisms. This technology has been useful in revealing toner development
and fixing processes, in addition to the ink-ejection process, in Canon products and has contributed to product design and
technological innovation.
The diameter of a single toner particle in an LBP or copying machine is several m,*3 and the volume of a single ink
droplet in an inkjet printer is 1 pl.*4 While exceptionally small, they also move at incredibly high speeds, making it extremely
difficult to accurately track them. Furthermore, because these phenomena occur in narrow spaces deep within products,
simply viewing them poses a challenge. Advanced technologies including the creation of sample devices, shooting with
ultra-high-speed cameras, and image analysis are used to observe the phenomena.

Developing roller

Light

High-sensitivity camera

Overview of In-process Visualization Technology for Toner

Development

Optical / Medical

Visualizing the ink droplet ejection process

Because the ink-ejection process takes place at ultrahigh speeds under which the time from ejection to fixing
on paper is less than 1/10,000 of a second, Canon has
developed analysis technology combining spatial analysis
capabilities at a scale approaching the wavelength of light
with time analysis capabilities at the one-millionth of a
second level.

Photosensitive drum

Charging roller

Exposure

Visualizing the toner-fixing process

Using an observation device, Canon is able to view the
melting, expansion, and re-hardening of toner on the fixing component. Simulations performed by incorporating
mechanical data measuring temperature, pressure, and
displacement have contributed to the development of fixing-mechanism components and an understanding of the
behavior of the toner itself.

Light source

Output

Visualizing the toner development process

This visualizing technology is used to observe toner particles as they fly towards the photosensitive drum. Based
on these observations, engineers can analyze the movement and regularity of toner flying minute distances, which
enables the clarification of mechanical positioning and
optimal control voltages.

Photosensitive drum side

Developing roller side

Visualizing the Toner Development Process

Visualized toner particles flying towards the photosensitive drum

*3 m (micrometer)
1 m = one millionth of a
meter
*4 pl (picoliter)
1 pl = one trillionth of a liter

Fundamental
Environmental
Future

57

Device Technologies
Canons device technologies create key devices that highlight the appeal of products. In particular, Canon
boasts CMOS sensors as key device that have greatly contributed to improving image quality in digital cameras.
Canon combines the latest optical, electronic circuit, and ultra-precision processing technologies to manufacture an abundance of devices. Some of Canon's devices are used as industrial components in research institutes
and the production lines of Canon and other companies.

High Density, Speed, and Image Quality Built on Accumulated Technologies

CMOS Sensors
CMOS sensors are used as the imaging elements in Canon digital SLR cameras and digital video camcorders ( P.25).
CMOS sensors are made up of densely aligned pixels consisting of photosensors, reading the light intensity accumulated
by each pixel in parallel.
Digital cameras also use CCD sensors,*1 but CMOS sensors have the advantage of being faster because they are able to
read in parallel. Disadvantages include being susceptible to noise (susceptible to deteriorated image quality) because they
include pixel amplifiers, memory, and switches for each pixel.
Canon believes that establishing CMOS sensor technology is necessary to increase pixel counts and higher speeds in
digital cameras, and has succeeded in the mass production of high-quality CMOS sensors with low noise while combining
*1 CCD sensor
the latest optical, electronic circuit, and ultra-precision processing technologies, and refining manufacturing processes and
The CCD sensor uses the
charge-transfer method circuit designs. At present, Canons CMOS sensor technology has grown such that it is possible to create next-generation
that transfers the elec- imaging elements exceeding 50 megapixels, making it a core competency technology that remains unsurpassed by comtric charge accumulated in petitors.
Photodiode potential design technology
Photodiode
Gate

Optical utilization technology

Electron potential

photosensors like a bucket

relay. The structure is simple,
using photosensors, transfer
gates, and photodiodes, and
although high image quality
can be obtained comparatively easily, the reading of data
is slow.

Microlens
Color lter

e e

Improvement of lens and color lter

for higher light intensity
Noise source

Optical electrical charge

Simulation of ideal accumulation structure

CMOS Sensor Technologies

Photo-Receptive Technology
Optical Utilization Technology
The photosensors arrayed on a CMOS sensor are microscopic in size, measuring around several m*2 each. The key
to CMOS sensor performance is ensuring that each photosensor takes in as much light as possible to reduce noise.
*2 m (micrometer)
1 m = one millionth of a
To boost light intensity, Canon employed micropatternmeter, or 0.001 mm.
ing technology to fabricate microlenses. The company also
made multiple improvements in its color filter,*3 which is
*3 Color filter
The color filter splits light essential for color reproduction, to ensure enhanced color
into its RGB (red, green, photosensor performance.
blue) components before it
becomes data. Characteristics
of the color filter affect the
color reproducibility of image
data.
*4 Dark current
The current that flows when
electric charge occurs while
there is no light (often caused
by heat).
*5 Leakage current
A phenomenon in which current leaks in areas insulated
on an electronic circuit.

58

these defects in the deep region of the substrate where

they could not affect sensor performance, resulting in the
reduction of dark current.
Surface layer

Depth (m)
0

Device active area

20
40
60
80

Dark Current Reduction Technology

Dark current*4 refers to leakage currents*5 in photosensors,
attributable to high temperatures or lengthy exposures,
which result in photosensor noise and degrade the image
quality in CMOS sensors. Because this results in noise,
Canon has meticulously investigated the mechanism causing it. Drawing on its material analysis technologies, Canon
has analyzed the crystal structure of materials. As a result,
it was discovered that crystal defects in silicon substrates
can play a role in causing dark current. The company then
developed a technology for eliminating crystal defects
from the surface of silicon substrates, which isolated

100
120

Cross-Sectional Photo of a Silicon Substrate

Optical
signal
(S)

Pixel

Pixel
amplier

Reset
switch

4-transistor pixel structure

Signal + noise
recording memory

Shallow Trench Isolation

(STI) method

Output
signal
(S)

Noise
recording memory
Noise cancellation circuit

Low-Noise Reading Circuit Technology

0.22m

0.03m

STI minimizes the birds beak phenomenon, enabling narrower isolation regions

Pixel Isolation Technology

Optical / Medical

Output signal (S) = (signal + noise recording memory) (noise recording memory)

sors, each pixel consists of a

photodiode, a pixel amplifier,
and a reset switch for resetting the signal (three-transistor pixel structure). To this
structure, however, Canon
added a transfer switch (fourtransistor pixel structure). The
transfer switch, which calls
noise and noise + signal
separately, made possible the
development of double-sampling noise cancellation for
accurate noise elimination.

Exposure

Transfer
switch

Conventional system

Output

Low-Noise-Reading Circuit Technology

Reducing noise in the photosensor is meaningless if the
data-reading circuit itself is subject to high noise levels.
Canon achieves low-noise data reading through a combination of a high-speed compatible pixel configuration
known as a four-transistor pixel structure and a noisecancellation circuit.*6 In 2004, this technology received
a National Commendation for Invention, Japans most
prestigious invention award. Recognized for its superior
performance, the circuit is now widely employed as the
industry standard.

Pixel Miniaturization Technology

The CMOS sensors used in digital SLR cameras are fullframe 35mm sensors or APSH/APS-C size ( P.25). The
increased pixel counts of sensors have been brought about
by miniaturizing pixel size while keeping the same sensor surface area. In addition, in order to make the bodies
of video camcorders more compact, Canon has pursued
technology for incorporating large numbers of pixels into
surfaces of only a few square millimeters.
As pixel sizes become smaller, important issues include
not only pixel and wiring pattern design technology, but
also semiconductor processes and manufacturing technologies for separating the elements created.
Canon developed a pixel miniaturization technology
called Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) that reduces isolation
regions, at the same time reducing dark current, which has
enabled the mass production of high-quality, high-density *6 Noise cancellation circuit
CMOS sensors.
In conventional CMOS sen-

Input

Device Design Technology

Photodiode Potential Design Technology
Photosensors collect electrical charges when they are
exposed to light. The resulting charge is read from each
sensor site and converted into image data. For optimal
device design, Canon simulates the ideal charge collection
structure with a device simulator. By doing so the company
has designed a sensor with highly efficient charge collection, light use, and reading, over a short period of time.

Manufacturing Technologies
CMOS Sensor Yield Improvement Technology
Given the unprecedented large size of CMOS sensors,
improving their yields*8 proved to be a daunting task.
Canon developed a yield analysis system that automatically checks with pinpoint accuracy the electrically measured
results and physical deficiencies of defective products, and
identifies processes and causes of defects from among
all possible factors. Using this system, Canon is realizing
higher yield ratios by promoting continued improvements
in processes, materials, and equipment.
Electrical inspection

Cleanroom

Semiconductor exposure
equipment

Feeds back the results to

the process and semiconductor
manufacturing equipment.

Physical inspection
Automatically detects defect coordinates.

Moves to detected position

for detailed analysis.

DUV (Deep UV) system

SEM system

Determines the nature of a

defect and automatically saves
the corresponding data.

Overview of Yield Analysis System

Automatic
element analysis

*8 Yield
Ratio of acceptable units
to the number of products
produced (Total units produced defective products).
Improvement of yield significantly affects product cost
and profit by reducing defective products.

Future

Large-Screen Device Process Technology

Canons full-frame 35 mm CMOS sensor used in digital
SLR cameras measures 36 x 24 mm. This far exceeds the
maximum area that can be covered in a single-exposure process using conventional semiconductor exposure
equipment. Canon developed a multiple-exposure process
that succeeds in precise splicing and enables the mass
production of large-size CMOS sensors.

Checks defect coordinates

One inspection result is veried
against another to identify the
process and the defect capable
of adversely affecting yield.

*7 Cleanroom
A space in which air cleanliness is controlled and
maintained. Such rooms are
installed in semiconductor
fabrication plants, medical
facilities, and food factories.
The number and size of airborne particles are kept below
certain levels, just as the
cleanliness of any materials
and water used is also maintained. Temperature, humidity,
pressure, and lighting are also
controlled.

Environmental

Signal pattern is input to detect

coordinates.

Fundamental

Cleanroom Technology
CMOS sensors are manufactured in cleanrooms*7 like
other semiconductor devices, and semiconductor exposure
equipment is used in this process. As devices become more
compact, cleanrooms must be more strictly controlled.
Canon has achieved a cleanroom in which the air contains
no more than a single particle measuring 0.1 m or more
per cubic foot. The company manufactures its state-of-theart CMOS sensors in such optimized facilities.

59

Device Technologies
Accurately Detecting Movements on a Nanometer Scale
Encoders
Encoders are sensors that measure the angle of or distance traveled by an object by attaching a scale to the target
object and counting the scale. Canon has developed ultra-precise, ultra-accurate encoders using cutting-edge optical
measurement technology.
Laser Rotary Encoders (LRE)
Laser rotary encoders detect angles using light analysis*1
and interference,*2 employing semiconductor lasers as the
light source. The use of proprietary prism optics enables
the creation of more compact devices. LREs are used to
adjust the angle of industrial robot arms and camera platforms for broadcasting cameras.

*1 Light analysis
A property of light. Light
travels in waves which, upon
striking an object, curve
around into the shadow of
the object. This phenomenon
is known as diffraction.

Semiconductor laser
Wavelength: 780 nm
(output) 5mW

Interferometer
(photo receptor)

Beam splitter

Mirror

*2 Interference
A property of light. Light travels in waves and becomes
brighter when combined with
light of the same phase. When
combined with light with a
phase that differs by 180
degrees, the two will cancel
each other out, resulting in
darkness. This phenomenon is
known as interference.

Micro Linear Encoders (MLE)

Micro linear encoders, which use a unique light reflection-diffraction interferometer with LEDs as a light source,
realize ultra-long life spans and an ultra-compact size.
When used with a 1000-part splitter, they achieve a
maximum resolution capability of 0.8 nm.*3 MLEs are used
in stage sensors in semiconductor lithography tools, hard
disk inspection equipment, and semiconductor measuring
equipment.

Mirror
Scale

Grating disk

Diffraction
grating

Pm 2.8m
4-part diffraction
grating

Light-receptor element
(for encoder)

Reective
element

Reective
element

Light-receptor
element
(for initial point)
Light-emitting diode
(LED)

Cable lin

Overview of MLE
Light from an LED, converted into parallel beams using a collimator lens, is
used to illuminate the scale via a 4-part diffraction grating. The diffracted
light is then received via the diffraction grating to detect the position
through phase differences.

Rotation axis

*3 nm (nanometers)
1 nm = one billionth of a
meter, or 0.000001 mm

Collimator
lens

Operating Principle of Laser Rotary Encoders

Noncontact Precise Detection of Velocity Inconsistencies and Rotation Inconsistencies

Laser Doppler Velocimeter
nal (Doppler frequency) of the light obtained. The system
enables the measuring of speeds from a state of rest to
-200 to 2000 mm, -50 to 5000 mm per second. The technology is used in R&D and production lines for detecting
paper transport speeds and velocity irregularities in printers and copying machines, detecting rotation irregularities
in photosensitive drums, and detecting rotation and feed
inconsistencies in the drive units of machine tools.

A laser Doppler velocimeter is a device that measures the

velocity of a moving or rotating object without coming
into contact with the object by illuminating it with a laser
through an afocal optical system.*4
Laser light is converted into parallel beams using a collimator lens and split using a diffraction grating. Two lights
with different frequencies created by an E/O frequency
shifter (an element that shifts the frequency) are used to
illuminate the measured object, and the scattered light is
passed through a collecting lens to be read by a photodiode. The velocity is then measured based on the beat sig-

Z
Y

Photodiode

E/O frequency shifter

*4 Afocal optical system

An optical system without
a focal point (infinite focal
length), in which the same
parallel light that enters the
lens also leaves the lens. The
system is used in telescopes
and beam expanders (an optical module for expanding the
beam diameter of laser light).

60

Diffraction
grating
Collimator
lens
Collecting lens
Afocal optical system
Semiconductor laser

Laser Doppler Velocimeter

Overview of Laser Doppler Velocimeter

Target
object

Achieving Advanced Laser Processing

Galvano Scanner
detects mirror angles. Galvano scanners provide excellent
positioning precision and repetitive reproduction capability along with high-speed performance. Incorporated into
laser via-hole*6 drilling devices and 3D molding devices,
they play an instrumental role in the processing of highdensity circuit boards for mobile phones, and the production of flat panel displays and solar panels.

Mirror (X)

Galvano (Y-axis)
rotary encoder + motor
Mirror (Y)
f lens
Build-up substrate

Laser

*5 Galvano scanner
A scanner that applies a
system employing a highsensitive ammeter, or galvanometer. The word galvano
is derived from the name of
Italian physicist Luigi Galvani.
*6 Via-hole
A hole used for connecting
circuit wiring created on each
substrate in multi-layered
substrates.

Exposure

Example of Galvano Scanner Application: Laser Via-Hole

Drilling

Output

Galvano (X-axis)
rotary encoder + motor

Galvano Scanner

Input

Laser-processing machines are devices that rotate mirrors

at high speeds to determine the position of laser light to
perform boring, cutting, and trimming processes.
Canons galvano scanner,*5 which utilizes proprietary
encoder technology, is a high-precision laser scanner incorporated into laser processing machines. Combined with
fully closed digital servo technology to provide optimal
control in accordance with the application, the scanner

Ultra-Sensitive Displacement Detection at 0.08 nm

Micro Laser Interferometer
sure equipment, and microvibration analyzers in precision
driving machines.

Optical / Medical

*7 Michelson interferometer method

Light from a light source is
split into two or more beams
and the light reflected by the
object (measurement light)
is recombined with the light
reflected by a fixed reflective
surface (reference light).

Micro Laser Interferometer

Fundamental

Laser interferometers employ laser light for noncontact

measurement of the movement (displacement and vibration) of objects with reflective surfaces. Canon developed
a microlaser interferometer based on the Michelson interferometer method*7 that achieves an ultra-high resolution
of 0.08 nm.
The light and compact interferometer weighs about 50
grams and measures a mere 38 mm (W) x 47 mm (D) x
19 mm (H) due to a unique optical design utilizing semiconductor lasers. This compact size enables the device to
be used in piezo-electric measurement in automobile fuel
injection equipment, wafer-stage position controllers for
EB (Electron Beam) lithography and semiconductor expo-

Using Ultrasonic Vibrations to Drive Focus and Zoom Lenses

Ultrasonic Motor (USM)
sible low-speed movement with considerable force without
needing a reduction gear mechanism. This type of motor
produces higher torque than an electromagnetic motor,
and also provides the same amount of torque with smaller
dimensions without such drawbacks as cogging.*8 Highly
precise operation and low noise are also major features of
ultrasonic motors.

Environmental

Canon developed the worlds first ultrasonic motor (USM)

for the autofocus of EF lenses for EOS series single-lens
reflex cameras.
Ultrasonic motors work on the principle that a stator
(the elastic body) subject to silent vibration results in friction that drives a rotor (the moving body). Small vibrations
are repeatedly employed to induce motion, making pos-

Rotor

From Left: Ring USM, Micro USM, and Micro USM II

Principle of the USM

Micro USMs are used in the zoom lenses of compact digital cameras, etc.

USMs convert ultrasonic vibrations into linear or rotary motion

Future

Stator
Vibration waves

*8 Cogging
Electromagnetic motors are
powered using the electromagnetic attraction of electromagnets and permanent
magnets, generally resulting
in jerky movement called cogging.

61

Production Engineering Technologies

Production engineering technologies for next-generation manufacturing are as important as those used
in product development. These help realize fully automated production lines that run 24 hours a day year
round, enabling in-house production of key components and processing tools that provide new functionality,
higher performance, and lower costs, as well as cutting-edge nano-order processing and measuring technologies.
Fulfilling Advanced Cost, Space, and Reliability Needs
Toner Cartridge Production System
Automating production systems is an extremely effective way to improve production speed and product quality while cutting costs. Aiming to make the company even
more competitive, Canon endeavors to establish automated production lines*1 that run 24 hours a day, 365 days
a year.
Canon has automated several hundred processes
required in the production of toner cartridges for Canon
laser beam printers, from parts processing and assembly
to inspection and packaging. One of the technologies
enabling this achievement is the Automated Moltopren
Sealing Apparatus used to seal the toner. Moltopren, a
sealing material formed from sponge and double-sided
tape, had been considered difficult to handle in automated

*1 Automated production
line
Used in the assembly of toner
and ink cartridges. These lines
achieve a yield (non-defective
product rate) of almost 100%.
These low-cost, space-saving,
highly reliable lines are now
are in operation in several
plants in Japan. Canon also
plans to launch such a line in
Virginia in the United States
in 2009.

procedures due to its susceptibility to deformation caused

by fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and tensile force.
Drawing on its proprietary technologies, however, Canon
completely automated the moltopren sealing process, from
the supply procedure to cutting, processing, precision sealing of containers, and inspection. A proprietary high-precision dispenser is also used to apply grease and other fluid
substances.
These production systems are uniquely developed and
designed by Canon. Employing the latest technologies,
including 3-D CAD, analysis simulation, and virtual reality,
Canon is working to quickly create new production systems for use in production lines. Targeting the cutting edge
of production technology, Canon is actively pursuing the
realization of fully automated production lines.

All-in-one Toner Cartridge

Canons toner cartridges use a unique all-in-one construction
(developed in 1982) combining a photosensitive drum, a charging
unit, a cleaner, and a developing unit. Because they are easy to
handle, they lend themselves to simple maintenance and recycling.
Canon has obtained hundreds of patents for compact and all-inone cartridge technologies
Used cartridges have been collected and recycled worldwide
since 1990

Automated Toner Cartridge Production Line

Materials that Deliver Well-Balanced Functionality

Chemical Component Technologies
Components and materials that support the functionality of products are called functional components, and
at Canon, these include components used in copying
machines and laser beam printers, such as high-imagequality fixing materials, electrostatic-transfer and intermediate-transfer belts, electric-separation-transfer and
electrical-charging rollers, and low-friction blades. Canon
performs detailed analyses of the physical phenomena that
take place during each process of a products operation
and, after thoroughly assessing the necessary properties,
carries out the in-house development and manufacture of
materials capable of delivering the required functions.
Specifically, Canon adapts raw materials from basic
organic and polymeric materials, including plastics and
rubbers, by applying chemical reactions, degeneration,
and blending, followed by additional processing steps that
make these materials appropriate for use as components.
These technologies are called chemical-component technologies. Canon is also working on the in-house production of processing systems for functional components.

62

Rollers Used in Copying Machines and LBPs

Transfer Belts Used in Copying Machines and LBPs

Achieving Nanometer-Order Precision in Optical Elements

Processing and Measurement System Technologies

X
Z-axis slider
B-axis rotary table

Y
X

Weight compensation system

Top probe Metrology box

Multipoint support mechanism
(Z mirror load compensation)
Upper reference mirrors

Kinematic support
Wavelength
tracker

Base plate

Base plate

Bottom probe

Y-axis slider
Air mount

Measured object (aspherical lens)

X-Y base plate

Lower reference mirrors

Kinematic support

Free-Form Measurement Machine (A-Ruler)

*3 Curvature variation
Curvature is a number indicating the degree of curvature of lines and surfaces.
Because the curvature of freeform lenses is not constant
and changes greatly, special
processing technology is
required.

Optical / Medical

Free-Form Processing Machine (A-Former)

Work slide
Measured object stand (work guide)

(one millionth of a millimeter)

to 1000 nm (one thousandth
of a millimeter). In this nano
world, even the tiniest variations in temperature or pressure can significantly affect
precision. Accordingly, equipment must maintain strict
precision standards and steps
must be taken to cancel all
errors for items affected within the system.

Exposure

Workpiece
C-axis rotary table
X-axis slider

Output

machine, which makes possible the ultra high-precision

measurement of the entire surface of an optical element
through contact probes that touch the element, also
employs a variety of advanced technologies. A metrology box with a unique box-shaped structure provides the
systems precision standard, while a laser interferometer
comprising a work guide sandwiched between six mirrors
*2 Nanometer-order
is used to cancel contact-probe motion errors, making posA level represented by nanosible measurements of nanometer-order precision.
meter units (nm) of 1 nm

Z
Y

Input

With advances in design technologies, optical elements

like lenses and prisms continue to evolve from spherical
to aspherical shapes, and from axisymmetric to free-form
surfaces. Optical elements that demand nanometer-order*2
levels of precision require the development of unique
processing and measurement systems to process free-form
surfaces with large variations in curvature.*3
For its free-form processing machine, Canon developed various proprietary technologies that enable the
high-precision control of the high-speed cutting tool,
including highly rigid air bearings and a high-performance
controlling system. The companys free-form measurement

Fabricating Multi-Layer Mirrors with Atomic Precision

IBF (Ion Beam Figuring) Processing Technology

Fundamental
Environmental

Surface accuracy before processing: 0.36 nm RMS

*4 EUV
Extreme Ultraviolet
*5 nm (nanometers)
1 nm = one billionth of a
meter, or 0.000001 mm

Surface accuracy after processing: 0.13 nm RMS

Results of Shape-Correction Testing Using a Mirror Material

Future

Exposure equipment operating in the EUV*4 wavelength

range requires the use of multilayer mirrors that incorporate alternating layers of film made of different materials.
These aspherical mirrors demand the most advanced levels
of ultra-precision processing in the world, with accuracies at the atomic level (the radius of a hydrogen atom is
approximately 0.1 nm*5). Canon is currently working on
Ion Beam Figuring (IBF) technologies to refine the shape
of mirrors.
IBF technology ensures high-precision figuring of the
shape by using ion beams (IBs) without increasing surface
roughness. Selecting the diameter of the IBs also makes it
possible to correct shapes over a wide spatial frequency
domain. In tests using Canons original IBF system, a
mirror with 0.36 nm RMS*6 in surface accuracy was successfully corrected to 0.13 nm RMS, achieving the worlds
highest level of surface accuracy and demonstrating the
systems high-precision processing capabilities.
The development of the IBF system was consigned to
the Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography System Development
Association (EUVA) by the New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as a theme
in the organizations Extreme Ultraviolet Exposure System
Development Project.

*6 RMS
Root Mean Square. Also
referred to as the mean
square deviation; indicates
the spread of values.

63

Production Engineering Technologies

Enabling the Mass Production of High-Precision Aspherical Lenses and DO Lenses
Molding Technologies
The manufacture of aspherical lenses*1 and diffractive-optical elements*2 (Structure of DO lenses P.25), which are
designed to diffract light on their surfaces, is made possible through mold-making technology, the most advanced technology used in lens production, as well as other proprietary Canon technologies.

*1 Aspherical lens
A lens with a curvature that is
not spherical (a surface with
a curvature rate continually
changing in the direction of
the lens diameter). Compared
with spherical lenses, aspherical lenses minimize aberrations and can be used in both
camera lenses and eyeglasses.
*2 Diffractive-optical
element
A lens that includes both
refractive and diffractive optical systems, and combines the
two to achieve improved optical performance.

Photo Replication
In photo replication, a UV hardening resin is placed on
an aspherical lens surface to transfer the mold shape and
allowed to harden. After years of research into mold-making techniques to fabricate finely shaped molds as well as
the characteristics and physical properties of resins, Canon
has perfected technology that realizes nanometer-level
precision in the controlling and transferring of fine shapes,
enabling the manufacture of a range of lenses.
Plastic Molding
Plastic molding involves pouring plastic into a finely fabricated aspherical mold to form a lens. This technology, used
to produce items such as aspherical lenses for compact
cameras, is based on innovations that ensure precise and
stable molding.
Glass Molding
Glass molding employs high-precision aspherical molds,
which are pressed directly onto glass to shape it into lens
elements. Based on studies of glass materials and mold
materials, Canon conducted simulations to create molds
that ensure consistent and accurate performance even at

high temperatures. Glass-molded lenses have found wide

application due to the flexibility of their refractive index
and other optical parameters.

Molds for Manufacturing

Aspherical Lenses

Roof Prisms
For Lens-Shutter Cameras and
Digital Cameras

Large-Diameter Lens
For LCD Projectors

Toric Lenses
For LBPs and Copying Machines

Promoting Prototype-Less Design Based on Optimization Analysis

Virtual Prototyping Technology

64

Low

Large-scale,
complex problem-solving
Virtual prototyping
to propose design
improvements
Small-scale
problem-solving
CAE

Complex
problem-solving
CAO
optimization
analysis

Robust optimization
Multi-objective
optimization

Aims:
Cost reduction
Shortened lead times
Quality improvement

High

Prototype-less Development Level

Virtual prototyping for

prototype replacement
verication

Progress of CAE Technology

Multi-Objective Optimization Analysis for a Zoom Lens

Barrel

Low
Short

*5 CAM (Computer-Aided
Manufacturing)
Systems for using computers
to support manufacturing in
which data is generated and
simulations are performed
from a manufacturing perspective.

Progress

Analysis difculty
Analysis duration

*4 3D-DMR (3D-Digital
Mockup Review)
Virtual assembly technology

For the compact camera zoom lens barrel pictured here,

Canon performed multi-objective optimization analyses
targeting two parameterszoom lens drive time and
power consumption, which have a tradeoff relationship
and derived a set of optimal Pareto solutions. From this
set, engineers decided on a solution enabling a reduction
of the zoom lens drive time by two-thirds while also reducing power consumption.
High
Long

*3 CAE (Computer-Aided
Engineering)
Systems for using computers to
support design and development. In addition to aiding the
design of products, it includes
analysis of strength and safety,
and simulations of functions
and performance.

Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE),*3 aimed at predicting

and solving potential problems that may arise in product
prototypes and production processes, is widely used in
R&D, product development, production engineering, and
prototyping at Canon. CAE combines prototype-less core
technology with actual product analysis and measurement technologies to help speed up development cycles,
reduce costs, and enhance product performance, functionality, and quality.
Virtual prototyping relies primarily on three techniques:
3D-Digital Mockup Review (3D-DMR)*4 to identify problems in a basic product configuration using 3-D data,
Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)*5 to automatically
generate processing data, and CAE.
For CAE, the core technique, Canon is working to transform virtual prototyping from a means of verifying prototype replacement to a means of proposing improvements
in the design phase, which takes full advantage of optimization analysis (CAO: Computer-Aided Optimization),
multi-objective optimization analysis, and robust optimization analysis for stable functionality and performance.
Examples of virtual prototyping at Canon include optimization analysis for the zoom lens barrels in compact
cameras. To ensure ease of assembly and disassembly,
usability, safety, and drivability at the product-design stage,
Canon uses CAE to perform multi-objective optimization
analyses of the drive mechanisms for the entire product to
simultaneously optimize multiple design goals.

Predicting Signal Integrity and EMI at the Circuit Design Stage

Design-Support Technologies
signals transmitted on printed circuit boards of circuits in
a few dozen picoseconds,*6 as well as an electromagnetic
field simulation analysis that estimates the level of electromagnetic noise generated by electric devices at the design
stage. These technologies ensure improved operational
accuracy at the prototype-testing stage and contribute
to significantly reducing development lead times greatly,
while also enabling the quick market introduction of products equipped with the latest functions.

Output

Voltage(V)

Input

As copying machines and other office devices continue to

advance in functionality, achieving higher levels of image
quality, processing speed, and full-color reproduction,
the data processing capacity of their control circuitry also
improves year after year. The higher running frequencies
of the circuits, however, make it increasingly difficult to
achieve stable operation while minimizing noise.
In response, Canon has introduced circuit board designsupport technologies, including transmission line simulation analysis that analyzes the travel times of the electric
5
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
5

10

15

20

25

Exposure

Time(ns)

Transmission Line Simulation Analysis of a High-Speed

Digital Circuit Board

Example of Electromagnetic Field Simulation of a Reader

Unit in a Digital Copying Machine

*6 Picosecond
One trillionth of a second

Creating Smaller and Lighter Products

connections between the package and substrate, and on

solder-printing technologies, which are essential for highprecision soldering jobs.
Flash memory
2nd layer

SDRAM

Fundamental

As semiconductors become smaller, faster, and more functional, digital products can be made smaller and lighter.
Semiconductors are arranged on printed circuit boards
within products, but as semiconductors become more
advanced, they need to be packaged more densely at a
smaller pitch. Canon has developed its own packaging
technology, successfully making products smaller and
lighter.
SiP (System in Package) technology integrates multiple
semiconductors into a single package. CSP (Chip Scale
Package) packaging technology forms solder balls on
bonding pads on the back of the semiconductor package,
allowing the chip to be bonded to the substrate by heating it. Canon is currently conducting R&D on simulationanalysis technologies to enhance the reliability of soldering

Optical / Medical

High-Density Packaging Technologies

1st layer

SiP Concept Employed in Digital Cameras

Environmental

Achieving the Rigidity of a 10 mm Steel Plate with Two 1.6 mm Steel Plates
Press Production Technologies

Future

To ensure the stable operation of high-speed copying

machines weighing over 100 kg, Canon performs bodyframe rigidity analysis and designs optimal structure and
component shapes using new concepts, which are then
reflected in products. For example, Canon was the first in
the world to employ a monocoque (stressed-skin) structure
for the bottom plate of copying machines. The single-unit
monocoque structure ensures the rigidity of the copying
machine frame and is highly resistant to external forces.
Canon created this monocoque structure by pressing
together two 1.6 mm-thick steel plates. This construction
offers a flexural rigidity equal to that of a 10 mm-thick
plate.

Dimpled Bottom Plate of a Copying Machine

65

Quality Management Technologies

For Canon, a manufacturer of precision products, technology that assures product quality is of great importance. Using a variety of assessment, simulation, and analysis technologies, Canon strives to maintain and
improve its product quality. In 2008, a testing facility able to perform public certification tests was completed at the companys Tamagawa Plant with the aim of improving product quality control.
Using advanced technology with a total commitment to "quality first" supports the safety and reliability of
ever-evolving products.
Quality Assurance at Canon
To achieve Canons corporate objectives of creating the worlds leading products, offering the highest levels of quality and service, and contributing to
the betterment of culture throughout the world, the company continually makes efforts to enhance quality by:
1. Identifying customer needs and utilizing the latest technologies to offer excellent high-quality products and speedy service
2. Making every effort to avoid causing harm or damage to consumers and their property as a result of nonconforming products or services

The message behind Canon product quality is to provide safety, smartness, and satisfaction to customers. In order to
deliver products and services to customers that fulfill these three objectives, Canon carries out quality assurance activities at every stage, from planning and development to production, marketing, and post-purchase services.
Canon quality provides safety, smartness, and satisfaction to customers
Safety:
No breakdowns, no injuries, no defects
Smartness: Easy to use, well designed, reliable
Satisfaction: Great! Glad I bought it. Its Canon for me from now on
Canon Quality Mark

Evaluating Comfort and Ease-of-Use

Human-Scale Measurement and Evaluation Technologies
Canon employs ergonomic measurement and evaluation
technologies in the evaluation of the companys products.
Beginning with technologies for assessing visual fatigue,
the company has been researching and developing technologies for evaluating human usability (burden of operation) in such categories as comfort and ease of use.
The research measures users physiological reactions
when using products, such as myoelectric potential and
grip force when subjects pull out the paper feed trays of
printer products, and stress-related perspiration and eye
movement when viewing displays. Canon is working to
expand these human and physiological measurement and
evaluation technologies to include both mental and physical fatigue during operations, with the aim of developing
more user-friendly products.
By simulating the muscular effort exerted, this research
has revealed the paper roll setting position for large-format inkjet printers ( P.32) that reduces the burden on
*1 SEA (Statistical Energy
Analysis) method
The Statistical Energy Analysis
method, used especially in
the automotive, shipping, and
construction fields, is a method for analyzing vibration
and noise that incorporates
a statistical approach and the
concept of energy.
Once the route of vibration
and noise transfer is identified, it is possible to accurately assess what areas need
to be addressed, enabling the
efficient reduction of vibration
and noise in products.

66

a users arms and back. Similarly, with head mounted displays ( P.72), Canon aims to develop ways to evaluate
psychological stress that occurs during viewing by measuring automatic nervous system activity such as heart rate.

Studying Paper Roll Setting Position by

Measuring Myoelectric Potential

Efficiently Reducing Vibration and Noise

Analyzing Vibration and Noise with the SEA Method
Canon uses an analysis approach called the SEA method*1 to reduce the vibration and noise generated by
products. This method identifies the route by which noisecausing vibration is transmitted by analyzing the flow of
vibration energy between parts within a product.
For example, such aspects as the rate of energy loss and
the flow of energy between parts are analyzed based on
the force introduced by the motor and vibration of parts.
This approach is effective in analysis when the source of
vibration differs from the source of noise.

Redesign Based on Analysis Results (Energy Transfer

Inhibition)

Preserving the Environment During Products Usage

Chemical Safety Evaluation Technology
Input

certification.
This technology has enabled many Canon products to
obtain such eco-labels*2 as Germanys prestigious Blue
Angel label.

Measuring Chemical Emissions at the Canon Inc. Chemical

Emission Test Laboratory

*2 Eco-labels
Marks that display the environmental friendliness of
products. Products with ecolabels are certified as having reached the level specified in the labeling system.
Germanys Blue Angel label,
the first eco-label established
in the world, has stringent
certification standards.

Output

Chemical substances discharged when a product is used,

such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds), dust, ozone,
and particulates, are referred to as chemical emissions and
must be reduced to preserve the environment when using
products. Canon began full-scale measurement of chemical emissions in 2000 and has actively worked on the
standardization of methods for collecting and analyzing
chemical emissions from office equipment. The company
has also made significant contributions to establishing JIS
and ISO standards.
Special environmental test laboratories are required
for measuring chemical emissions. Canon has set up
environmental test facilities for products of different sizes,
and achieved the top class of measurement capability in
the industry. In 2005, Canon became the first company
in the industry to have a chemical emission measurement
laboratory receive both ISO17025 and German eco-label

Exposure

Guaranteeing Quality and Reliability of Parts

New Failure Analysis Method for Laser Diodes
of semiconductor components. This approach identifies
anomalies undetectable by LD manufacturers in the past,
ensuring parts with high reliability.

The green portion indicates the location of the defect

*3 SEI (Seebeck Effect

Imaging)
A method using a phenomenon in which temperature
differences in substances are
converted into voltage. An
infrared laser light, emitted
to display the thermoelectric
currents occurring inside the
LD chip due to the heat of the
laser, detects anomalies such
as lattice defect.

Fundamental

Detecting a Defect Inside an LD Chip

Optical / Medical

Ensuring the quality and reliability of manufactured products requires ensuring the quality and reliability of individual components. Canon operates a certification system
to confirm the quality and reliability of semiconductor
parts such as ICs, and electronic parts such as resistors
and capacitors, all of which are found in Canon products.
This system is supported by in-house technologies developed for evaluating and analyzing electronic parts, new
failure analysis methods for laser diodes, technologies for
identifying the location of faults in LSIs, and structural
evaluation technologies.
New failure analysis methods for laser diodes use SEI*3
(Seebeck Effect Imaging), which utilizes infrared laser light
to precisely detect anomalies such as lattice defect within
the structure of laser diodes (LD), a particularly vital part

Accredited Laboratory
standards mandated by law, but also by establishing product safety technology standards unique to Canon. Having
advanced facilities capable of performing public certification tests in-house leads to improvements in the true
safety*5 that Canon aims to achieve.

Environmental

*4 Public certification
testing
Scheduled to begin in 2009.

The New Testing Facility Completed in Winter 2008

Future

Establishing a Testing Facility

To further improve its technology, Canon has constructed a
new testing facility at its Tamagawa Plant near Tokyo. This
testing facility will become the center of Canons quality
evaluation and testing.
The testing facility can be used to conduct certification tests*4 based on public standards such as those for
noise (ISO7779), electromagnetic compatibility (CISPR22,
CISPR24, FCC Part 15, among others), and safety (UL94,
EN62441). Marking a first in the camera/office equipment
industry, its semi-anechoic chamber incorporates wedgeless sound-absorbing walls and enables noise measurement of even large products. Additionally, high-sensitivity microphones are used to further expand the scope of
measurement.
The completion of this testing facility will increase measurement accuracy and evaluation speed, greatly contributing to the improvement of Canon product quality.
Canon is improving quality not only through safety

*5 True safety
An approach to ensuring
safety, even if not regulated
by law, by envisaging actual
situations in which products
may be used.

67

Environmental Technologies
In consideration of the environment, Canon promotes activities to reduce environmental impact in all three
stages of the product lifecycle: Produce (development and manufacture), Use, and Recycle. As the basis of its
efforts to minimize environmental burden, Canon also focuses its energies on unique environmental technologies to contribute to preserving the global environment.

Solidifying and Processing Waste Toner During Production

Reusing Waste Toner [Produce]
The manufacturing process for toner used in copying
machines and printers can generate toner with nonstandard particle sizes which, depending on the type of toner,
does not permit its reuse as toner, resulting in waste toner.
Canon utilizes a waste toner solution solidification system
to harden waste toner, modifying its properties to enable
its reuse as material for factory pallets and other applications.

Input

Solid modied
toner

Toner production
Toner solution
solidication system

Nonstandard
toner

Recycling
Reuse as resin
pallets, etc

Resale

Waste Toner Reuse Process in Production Plants

Eliminating VOCs in the Manufacturing Process

Technologies for Replacing Volatile Organic Compounds [Produce]

*1 Solvent recovery equipment

Used for recovering and
concentrating low-density
VOC emissions, the technology enables the recovery of
90 percent or more of VOC
emissions. High-density VOC
emissions are liquefied and
recycled during the cleaning
process.

Organic solvent-based paint and cleaning agents are commonly used in parts processing for a variety of products.
Canon is no exception, using organic solvents in the painting and cleaning processes for external components used
in printers, cameras, and other products. These solvents
produce VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) gases when
used, creating a need to reduce emission levels.
Canon was quick to start working on eliminating VOCs
and significantly reducing emissions by switching to VOCfree cleaners and paints, and introducing solvent recovery
equipment.*1 At present, the company has begun to introduce non-VOC water-based paint and has significantly
limited emissions in the cleaning process by switching to
cleaners using low-diffusion VOCs that enable easy gas
recovery. Also, Canon is introducing production equipment
with recovery and recycling functions, as well as switching
to VOC-free cleaning agents.

Production Equipment Capable of Recovering and Recycling

Fluorine Solvents

Reducing Ozone Emissions to Approximately 1/1000 or Less

Ozone-Free Electrical Charging Technology [Use]

*2 Corona discharge
A discharge phenomenon
that occurs when voltage is
applied to a pointed (needle)
electrode and produces a
light (corona) that can be
seen in darkness.

68

Electrophotographic products such as copying machines

and laser beam printers make use of an electrically charged
photosensitive drum to generate images. The conventional
corona charging method involves the application of voltages ranging from about 5 to 10 kV, which results in
corona discharge*2 and generates ozone (O3). Eliminating
the generated ozone required the introduction of an ozone
filter, coupled with an airflow structure that reliably directs
ozone to the filter.
To address this problem, Canon developed a roller
charging method that charges the photosensitive drum
by applying a voltage generated through the superposing
of an AC voltage over a DC voltage to a conductive roller.
Compared to the corona discharge method, which dis-

charges into the air, this new method reduces ozone generation to levels no higher than about 1/1000, and voltage
to about one-fifth of previous levels. The adoption of this
technology eliminates the need for special systems to deal
with ozone, enabling the realization of smaller copying
machines and laser beam printers.
Charging wire

O3
O3

O3 3
O

Photosensitive drum
Corona discharge method
(high air ionization)

Charging roller
Photosensitive drum
Roller charging method
(low air ionization)

Overview of Ozone-free Electrical Charging

Dramatically Reduced Power Consumption in Standby Mode

Toner Fixing Technology [Use]
Input
Output
Exposure
Optical / Medical
Fundamental

In copying machines and laser beam printers, toner is fixed to the paper by heat and pressure via the fixing roller ( P.14).
With conventional fixing roller systems, the roller must be kept hot at all times by a heater located inside the roller, even
when in standby mode.
On-Demand Toner-Fixing Technology (SURF)
Canons on-demand toner-fixing technology employs a
linear ceramic heater and a fixing film sleeve with high
thermal conductivity and low thermal capacity. The thin
fixing film is brought into contact with a ceramic heater,
which operates only when the fixing film rotates, fixing the
[Roller-fixing method]
[On-demand fixing method]
image by applying heat to the toner through the film. This
Fixing-lm
Fixing roller
sleeve
mechanism eliminates the need for power while in standby
Paper
Paper
and, in some products, realizes zero power consumption by
Fixin
Fixin
g
g
the fixing unit when in standby.
Imag
Imag
e surf
e surf
ace
ace
For color office machines, Canon developed color onCeramic
Heater
heater
Toner
Toner
demand toner-fixing technology. The fixing belt uses a
Pressure roller
Pressure roller
3-layer structure in which a rubber layer, which improves
On-demand Toner Fixing System
the fixing of toner, is sandwiched between a base layer
of monochrome fixing film and a surface layer. The base
layer is made of either resin or metal, with the appropriate
Surface layer
Rubber layer
material chosen for each product in accordance with difBase layer
ferent product needs.
Reinforcing stay
Rotation
direction
Induction Heating Fixing Technology
Ceramic heater
Fixing sleeve
Laser beam printers employ Induction Heating (IH)*3 tonerHeater holder
fixing, which uses a fixing roller consisting of a thin-walled
Fixing
Paper
metal pipe with a thin coating. The roller is heated using
induction heating by applying a high-frequency electrical
Fixing nip
current through a coil built into the roller. Because the selfDrive direction
Pressure roller
heating roller is subject to thermal change, ensuring duraColor On-demand Fixing System
bility had posed a challenge. Following an examination of
the thermal properties of materials and the mechanical
characteristics of the technology, Canon achieved an
Fixing roller
improved roller-holding method and fixing unit structure,
Heating area
Core
making possible the creation of a fixing roller that can
produce 500,000 prints before requiring replacement.
AC current
Fixing
To ensure stable temperature control, the company also
Coils
developed a low-loss, high-frequency inverter power supply. This technology reduces standby times to one-tenth of
Magnetic ux
Pressure roller
previous wait times while cutting energy consumption by
about 55% compared with previous systems (based on an
IH Fixing System
in-house comparison).

*3 IH (Induction Heating)
A heating method found in
electric rice cookers and
other cooking appliances that
makes use of magnetic induction.

Reducing Environmental Impact Through Resource Recycling

Virgin material
Recycled material

Future

Since 1990, Canon has used numerous types of recycled

plastic in exterior housings and other product parts in
cooperation with resin manufacturers in Japan and abroad.
Sandwich molding, in which individual components are
formed by enclosing recycled plastic within virgin material,
enables usage rates for recycled plastic of up to 30% in
final products.
Also, aiming for a recycled-plastic usage rate of 80%
or higher, Canon has been working with molding machine
manufacturers on the development of thin-walled multilayer injection molding technology that enables the use of
even more recycled plastic. This technology will contribute
to achieving more environmentally conscious products and
reducing costs.

Environmental

Molding Technology for Plastic Recycling [Reusage]

Product Made Using Thin-walled Multi-layer Injection

Molding

69

Future Technologies, Today

With an increasing presence in input and output devices for information and video, displays represent a
technology that will open the way to the future. Focused on providing high image quality, Canon is developing next-generation displays that utilize ultra-precision processing technology, material technology, and
electronics technology.
Providing Next-Generation High-Quality Displays
SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display)
With the introduction of digital HD broadcasting, homeuse HD video camcorders and next-generation DVDs have
become increasingly popular, leading to the progressively
widespread availability of high-definition and high-imagequality content. For viewers to fully enjoy this content,
displays must provide even higher levels of image quality
and offer larger viewing areas.
Among video professionals, CRT (cathode ray tube) systems are acknowledged for their superior performance in
terms of high-speed motion traceability and contrast, but
the structure of CRTs makes it difficult to realize slim-body
designs. In SEDs, electron emitters, which fulfill the role
served by the electron gun in CRT systems, are distributed
in a number equal to the number of pixels on the display,
making it possible to create large screens with a slim profile. The electron emitters are characterized by a nanogap*1
formed between two electrodes. When voltage is applied
between electrodes, electrons are emitted from one side.
Some of these electrons are accelerated by voltage applied
Phosphor

Electron emitter

Phosphor

between the glass substrates, and luminescence occurs

when they strike the phosphor coating of the opposing
substrate.
With this self-illuminating structure, SEDs can realize
high-resolution, slim-profile, large-screen displays while
maintaining the same fast response time and high contrast
as CRTs. Since SEDs convert electric energy into light with
high efficiency, they also offer the advantage of low power
consumption.

SED prototype
Black
matrix

Color lter
Phosphor
Glass substrate

Electron gun

Enlarged view

Luminescence

Metal back lm

Electrode Electron beams

Va
Electron emitter

*1 Nanogap
An extremely narrow gap
only several nm apart. 1 nm
is one billionth of a meter, or
0.000001 mm.

Spacer

Va
Glass substrate

Deecting yoke
CRT

SED

Comparison of CRT and SED

Field emission Scattering

Several nm
Nanogap

Vf

SED Structure

Flexible Large-Screen Displays

Transparent Amorphous Oxide Semiconductor Thin Film Transistors (TFT)

*2 Thin film transistor

Thin film transistors are composed of a semiconductor
layer, electrodes, and insulator
layers on a substrate. At present, substrates are commonly
made of glass, but research is
being conducted on the application to plastic materials.
*3 Amorphous
Noncrystalline. In contrast to
a crystalline structure, atoms
are not arranged in a fixed
order. Compared with crystalline structures, amorphous
structures make possible the
uniform fabrication of thin
films.

70

TFTs (thin film transistors*2) are used in active matrix

device circuits that have switching elements for each pixel,
and are incorporated in the substrate part of LCD panels.
At present, amorphous*3 or polycrystalline silicon is used
in their semiconductor materials, but because silicon is
covalently bound and achieving high performance in lowtemperature formation has proven difficult, new materials
have been sought after. Key issues posed in this search
included stability suitable for OLED displays with continuous current to each element, support for large display
sizes, and low-cost manufacturing.
Transparent amorphous oxides, a recently discovered
semiconductor material, are metallic oxides with ionicbond properties. Because TFTs employing these materials
generally operate stably at high speeds, research and
development was broadly conducted in this field, and in
2004 Canon successfully formed a TFT on a transparent
plastic film at room temperature. Because no glass substrates are used, this approach increases the likelihood of
lightweight and flexible yet highly sturdy displays.

Canon quickly started research on TFT technology and

has proceeded with the development of high-performance
TFTs through joint research with the Tokyo Institute of
Technology. This effort is expected to lead to larger and
more flexible displays for all display technologies, especially OLEDs.

Transparent Amorphous Oxide Semiconductor TFTs Formed

on Plastic Film at Room Temperature

Toward More Convenient Mobile Devices

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Displays
Input

substrate with transistors and capacitors for each pixel was *4 Organic Light Emitting
adopted to drive the pixels.
Diode (OLED) displays
Luminescence
Cathode
Electron injection
transport layer
0.5 m

R
emission layer

G
emission layer

B
emission layer

RGB emission layer

Hole injection
transport layer

These self-luminating displays

offer an array of advantages,
including a broad range of
color reproduction, low power
consumption, the ability to
provide high image quality
from any viewing angle, and
fast response times.

Anode

Output

Substrate

Structure of OLED Display

OLED Display (Prototype)

*5 Dopant material
A material applied to the
emission layer in minute
quantities to increase emission performance. The type
and concentration of dopant
material is considered proprietary technology of the company that developed it.
*6 Carrier-injection materials
Carrier-injection materials
include hole injection material that carries electron holes
(+) to the emission layer, and
electron injection transport
material that carries electrons
(-).

Exposure

OLED displays*4 are self-emitting displays based on the

phenomenon of organic electroluminescence, which occurs
when voltage is applied to excite organic materials sandwiched between two electrodes. Because they provide high
image quality in a slim, lightweight design that consumes
little energy, OLEDs have attracted attention as displays
for mobile devices, with practical application beginning in
mobile phones.
Canon, aiming to realize high performance, low-cost
OLED displays, carried out the development process inhouse, from organic materials to devices and processes.
As the selection of organic materials is of particular
importance, Canon made use of OPC materials technology
employed in electrophotographic technology to develop
RGB light-emitting materials made up of dopants*5 and
hosts and carrier-injection materials.*6 These provide the
industrys highest levels of efficiency, color purity, and longevity for prototype panels.
The system adopts a top emission structure that
casts light to the encapsulation glass side, ensuring a wide
aperture ratio to enable highly efficient light emission.
Because organic membranes are color-coded using highprecision mask deposition technology to ensure that RGB
luminescent materials emit light for each color, color filters
and color conversion are not required. An active matrix TFT

Optical / Medical

Group Company Technologies Tokki Corporation

Mass Producing OLED Displays

OLED Manufacturing Device Technology

Fundamental

deposition of metallic electrode material, a high-temperaBecause the organic material used to manufacture OLED
ture cell evaporation source is used.
display panels easily deteriorates when brought into conIn the encapsulation process, a low-humidity, lowtact with water or oxygen, it is necessary to coat RGB
vacuum-pressure chamber near to atmospheric pressure is
emission layers and metallic electrode material in a vacfilled with nitrogen gas and adhesive is applied.
uum using vacuum deposition, then bond or seal the
This fully automated manufacturing system can mainsealant glass and polarization plate without any exposure
tain constant operation with a cycle time of 35 minutes
to air. Tokki, a Canon Group company, develops and manuper glass substrate for approximately one week, contributfactures cluster-type and other OLED panel manufacturing
ing to the mass production and diffusion of OLED displays.
equipment for the complete automation of all panel manufacturing processes.
The coating process is performed with high-precision
mask deposition techGreen, Blue, the electron (-)
nology using a pro- The hole (+) injection layer,
The completed substrates
hole (+) transport layer, and
injection layer, the electron (-)
and encapsulation glass are
transport layer, and a metallic
prietary mask align- Red are deposited on a
bonded.
preprocessed substrate.
cathode are deposited.
ment mechanism
that employs a CCD
camera. The organic
B
ETL
material is deposited
G
HTL
R
through evaporation,
EIL
and the membrane
AI
thickness is optiHIL
mally controlled by an
The encapsulation glass undergoes
evaporation-rate conUV cleaning, adhesive is applied, a
trol system. Because
drying agent is injected, and the glass
is supplied to the sealing cluster.
high temperatures
of around 1,000C
are necessary for the Fully Automated OLED Display Manufacturing System

Environmental
Future

71

Future Technologies, Today

Technologies for creating future Canon products are being developed through the accumulation of research
in a broad range of fields, including future digital imaging technology, robotics, and medicine.
Merging the Real with the Virtual
Mixed Reality Technology
Mixed Reality (MR) technology refers to imaging technologies that seamlessly integrate the real and virtual worlds in
real time. With numerous achievements in the field, Canon
has been working on the application of MR technology
through the development of the companys head-mounted
display (HMD) and registration technologies.
As a key MR technology device, the video see-through
HMD, which incorporates two compact built-in cameras,
eliminates the parallax that would occur between the lines
of sight of the observer and the camera for each eye. When
wearing the HMD, computer-generated (CG) virtual objects
appear to exist in real space, enabling the observer to easily grasp the scale of the virtual objects within real-world
surroundings.
The key to enabling the practical use of MR technology is eliminating discrepancies in alignment, timing, and
image quality when merging the real and virtual worlds.
Canon has developed registration technology that combines the real-space images input by the HMDs built-in
cameras and the gyro sensor on the HMD. By increasing
the effective operating range, Canon aims to develop this
technology for use in a range of applications.

MR technology enables design engineers to view virtual

three-dimensional images to perform a variety of simulations even in the initial design stages. Exploring industrial
applications for this technology is expected to yield such
benefits as shorter development times and fewer prototype cycles.

Virtual world (CG)

MR (Mixed Reality)

Merging
Real world
HMD with built-in camera

Overview of MR Technology

Visual Inspection that Surpasses the Human Eye

Robot Vision Technology

*1 Smart camera
A smart camera incorporates
imaging sensors and highperformance processors and
is used in production line
monitoring and inspection.
Various controls and imaging processes are executed
within the camera. Industrial
cameras with a resolution in
the 0.1 mm range are also
available.

72

Canon is developing robot vision technology capable

of performing 3D positioning and orientation measurement for use with industrial machinery. While smart cameras*1 are currently available in the field of machine vision,
Canons machine vision technology aims to realize general-purpose systems with an eye to practical application in production lines by enabling fast and precise 3D
information imaging in addition to supporting a variety of
target objects.
The cameras that form the core of robot vision technology are intelligent cameras incorporating Canons exceptional image-capture and image-recognition technologies,
and play the role of eyes and brains for robot hands that
assemble parts. On the actual production floor, although
it is important to achieve high-precision control regardless
of the materials the parts are made of, Canon has been
developing a camera system aimed at high-speed 3D measurement with a resolution capability significantly exceeding that of existing cameras, even when the target object
is made of several different materials. Canon also intends
to realize systems that facilitate easy setup by incorporating learning functions for advanced model data.
This camera system, which surpasses the capabilities of
human vision, will likely first be applied to the advanced
automation of manufacturing processes. In the future, it
will be applied to monitoring, robot eyes to assist humans,
and the recording and production of 3D imaging information.

Identication of imperfections beyond human perception

Human eye

Robot eye

Visual Inspection Using a Robot Eye

Illustration of Robot Vision Technology

The upper global camera finds parts and the local camera attached to
the robot measures position and orientation

Developing Future Medicine with Advanced Anatomical Sensing

Medical Imaging Technology
Input

retinal anomalies caused by diabetes. Also, high-sensitivity

broadband in a two-dimensional array and high-sensitivity
atomic magnetometers, composed of materials safe for the
human body, have been developed as ultrasound tomography and MRI devices.
Using Canons image processing technology, advanced
diagnostic imaging systems can be established in the fields
of image processing for measured information and diagnosis support for doctors.
Through joint research with domestic and foreign
research institutions, in particular the Innovative TechnoHub for the Integrated Medical Bio-Imaging Project (CK
Project) in cooperation with Kyoto University, Canon aims
to realize the practical implementation of this technology
*2 Biomolecule
in the early stages of diagnosing and treating diseases.

Fluorescence

Disease site

Target recognition part Signal generation part

(Antibody)
(Fluorescent dye)

Example of optical measurement

Molecular probe

*3 MEMS
Micro Electro Mechanical
Systems: A device manufactured using semiconductor
micropatterning technology.

Optical / Medical

Medical Optical Measurement Imaging Using a Molecular

Probe

An organic molecule created

by an organism, such as protein, nucleic acid, or sugar.
Some have proteins that
uniquely manifest in disease
sites of cancer and other illnesses, and are known to
bond with certain compounds
(molecular probes).

Exposure

Excitation light

Output

Medical imaging technology enables the visualization of

the structure and functions inside an organisms body to
diagnose and treat illnesses. Canon is currently conducting
research and development into new technology that does
not use X-ray radiation, making use of low intensity radiation, which has a lesser impact on patients, to uncover
illnesses in early stages. At present, the company is moving
forward with research on three measurement methods to
achieve medical imaging with high sensitivity, resolution,
and performance: OCT (optical coherence tomography),
ultrasound tomography, and MRI (magnetic resonance
imaging). High-performance imaging aims to measure and
provide imagery for not only the structure, functions, and
metabolism of organisms, but also document the behavior
of specific biomolecules*2 that predict or cause illness.
When visualizing biological information, biomolecules
such as disease-specific proteins are tracked using molecular probes, which emit trace amounts of light, ultrasonic
waves, and electromagnetic waves. Methods for catching these trace emissions are being explored, and this
undertaking requires high-speed, high-precision sensing.
Accordingly, Canon has developed optimal devices for
each of these three variables toward the realization of
high-resolution measurement. For example, adaptive mirrors have been developed using MEMS*3 technology and
high-sensitivety light sensors have been developed as OCT
devices, providing high-resolution images for diagnosing

Visualizing Two-Dimensional Protein Distribution

Digital Mass Microscope

50 m

Fundamental

50 m

Secondary ion image of lipid

Total ion image

Example of Digital Mass Microscope Images (Human Lung

Carcinoma Tissues)

Environmental

Protein analysis is essential for bioresearch in medicine

and other fields. Canons digital mass microscope technology makes possible the visualization of two-dimensional
protein distribution at the cellular level and is intended to
benefit pathology and other medical diagnoses.
Canon, with a focus on the TOF-SIMS method,*4 which
measures two-dimensional distribution at the sub-micrometer*5 level, has studied novel pretreatment methods for
the high-sensitive detection of protein. To date, Canon has
succeeded in obtaining advanced two-dimensional distribution images by using digestive enzymes to decompose
proteins into peptides, then combining them with a unique
ionization-promoting reagent discovered by the company.
By applying the inkjet and image processing technology
the company has cultivated to its digital mass microscope
technology, Canon is able to achieve new levels of sensitivity and performance. In addition, the company is looking
to further advances through combinations with medical
imaging technology.

Announced at the 2007 annual meeting of the Japanese Cancer

Association
Specimen
Primary ion
Secondary ion
M1

M2

M3
Detector

Extractor electrode

Principle of TOF-SIMS
By applying energy eU to the extractor electrode, secondary ions
emitted from the specimen surface are drawn to the detector. Because
the lighter ions arrive before the heavier ones, the mass of a protein
can be determined by measuring the flight time of the ions

Future

Flight distance L

*4 TOF-SIMS method
Time-Of-Flight Secondary Ion
Mass Spectrometry. Although
conventional methods allow
the measuring of two-dimensional distribution at the submicrometer level, they destroy
the protein, resulting in small
fragments that are impossible
to identify.
*5 Sub-micrometer
Greater than or equal to 0.1
m but less than 1 m. 1m
is one millionth of a meter.

73

Technologies Index
A

Output

Input

Advanced FLAT 4 Engine Output ............................................... 36

Cleaner-Less Toner-Reuse System
Registration Correction
AISYS (Aspectual Illumination System) Optical ........................... 48
Analyzing Vibration and Noise with the SEA Method Fundamental ..... 66
Auto Photo Fix Output .............................................................. 31
Autofocus HDTV 100x Zoom Lens Optical ................................. 49
Auto-Registration Output .......................................................... 43
C

Optical / Medical

Exposure

Chemical Component Technologies Fundamental .......................... 62

Chemical Safety Evaluation Technology Fundamental .................... 67
ChromaLife 100+ Output ........................................................... 31
CMOS Sensors Fundamental ......................................................... 58
Cleanroom Technology
CMOS Sensor Yield Improvement Technology
Dark Current Reduction Technology
Large-Screen Device Process Technology
Low-Noise-Reading Circuit Technology
Optical Utilization Technology
Photodiode Potential Design Technology
Pixel Miniaturization Technology
Color CAPT (Canon Advanced Printing Technology) Output ........ 34
Color Management System Fundamental ...................................... 52
Communication Network Technology Fundamental ....................... 53
Device Automatic Connection Technology
High-Speed Video-Communication Technology
High-Speed Wireless Communication Technology
Controller Architecture Output .................................................. 37
D

Future

Environmental

Fundamental

Design-Support Technologies Fundamental ................................... 65

DIGIC 4 Input ........................................................................ 23
DIGIC DV II Input ................................................................... 26
Digital Mass Microscope Future ............................................... 73
DO Lens Input ........................................................................ 25
Document Processing Technology Output .................................. 39
Document Analysis Technology
High-Compression PDF Conversion Technology
Outline PDF Conversion Technology
Searchable PDF Conversion Technology
Document Solutions Output ...................................................... 41
imageWARE (iW) Accounting Manager
imageWARE Enterprise Management Console
(iW Management Console)
imageWARE (iW) Prepress Manager
/ imageWARE (iW) Print Job Manager
imageWARE (iW) Secure Audit Manager
imageWARE Solution Suite
DRYOS Fundamental ..................................................................... 55
Dual Fixing System Output ........................................................ 43
Dynamic Layout Engine (DLE) Output ........................................ 33
E

Encoders Fundamental ................................................................. 60

Laser Rotary Encoders (LRE)

74

Micro Linear Encoders (MLE)

Establishing a Testing Facility Fundamental ................................... 67
Exposure Equipment Application Platform Exposure .................... 45
F

Face and Motion Detection Technology Input .......................... 23

FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) Output .. 30
Full High-Definition (HD) CMOS Sensors Input ........................ 27
Full-Frame CMOS Sensors Input .............................................. 25
EOS Integrated Cleaning System
Hybrid Infrared-Cut Low-Pass Filters
Fully Automatic Noncontact Tonometer Medical .......................... 51
G

Galvano Scanner

Fundamental

...................................................... 61

HD Video Lenses with Image Stabilization and

AF Function Input .................................................................. 27
High-Density Packaging Technologies Fundamental ....................... 65
Human-Scale Measurement and Evaluation
Technologies Fundamental ............................................................ 66
I

IBF (Ion Bean Figuring) Processing Technology Fundamental .......... 63

Image Correction Technology Input ......................................... 29
Backlight correction
Book-binding shadow correction
Discoloration correction
Dust and scratch removal
Image Retrieval Technology Fundamental ...................................... 55
Image Retrieval Technology
Video Retrieval Technology for Similar Images
Immersion Exposure Technology Exposure .................................. 44
In-Process Visualization Technology Fundamental .......................... 57
Visualizing the ink droplet ejection process
Visualizing the toner development process
Visualizing the toner-fixing process
iSAPS Technology Input .......................................................... 23
L

Large Concave Mirror Exposure .................................................. 46

Laser Doppler Velocimeter Fundamental ........................................ 60
L-COA Output .......................................................................... 32
LUCIA Output ........................................................................... 33
M

MEAP/MEAP-Lite Output .......................................................... 38

Medical Imaging Technology Future ......................................... 73
Micro Laser Interferometer Fundamental ....................................... 61
Mixed Reality Technology Future .............................................. 72
Molding Technologies Fundamental .............................................. 64
Glass Molding
Photo Replication
Plastic Molding
Molding Technology for Plastic Recycling Environmental ................ 69

Network Cameras and Remote Video/Recording

Software Optical ....................................................................... 49
High image-quality, advanced-function network cameras
Network video-recording software
New ARCDAT Output ................................................................ 43
New Area Autofocus Input ..................................................... 24
New Failure Analysis Method for Laser Diodes Fundamental .......... 67
Next-Generation Exposure Technology Exposure ......................... 45
O

OLED Manufacturing Device Technology Future ........................ 71

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Displays Future ................ 71
Ozone-Free Electrical Charging Technology Environmental ............. 68
P

Pad Transfer High-Image-Quality Technology Output .................. 35

PgR (Pigment Reaction) Technology Output ............................... 31
Press Production Technologies Fundamental .................................. 65
Printing System Output ............................................................. 38
High-Speed RIP
UFR II/UFR II LT
Processing and Measurement System Technologies Fundamental ... 63
R

Reactive Ink Technology Output ................................................ 33

Replacing Volatile Organic Compounds Environmental ................... 68
Reusing Waste Toner Environmental .............................................. 68
Robot Vision Technology Future ................................................ 72

System LSI Integrated Design Environment

Design support environment
Project management environment

Fundamental

............... 56

Toner Cartridge Production System Fundamental ........................... 62

Toner Fixing Technology Environmental .......................................... 69
Induction Heating Fixing Technology
On-Demand Toner-Fixing Technology (SURF)
Transparent Amorphous Oxide Semiconductor Thin Film Transistors
(TFT) Future ............................................................................. 70
Twin-Belt Fixing Device Output ................................................. 37
U

Ultra-Compact LBP Design Technology Output ........................... 35

4-in-1 Ultra-Slim Laser Scanner
Slim High-Voltage Electrical Component Technology
Slim Structural Design Technology
Ultra-Large Stage Exposure ........................................................ 47
Ultra-Small Lens Unit with a Lens-Shift Image
Stabilizer Input ....................................................................... 22
Ultrasonic Motor (USM) Fundamental ........................................... 61
User Interface (UI) Platform Technology Fundamental .................... 54
Speech UI Technology
SVG UI Technology
V

Vacuum Deposition Technology Exposure ................................... 47

Virtual Prototyping Technology Fundamental ................................. 64
V-Toner Output ......................................................................... 42

Security Technologies Output .................................................... 40

Digital Watermarking Technology
Security Screen Pattern Technology
SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) Future ......... 70
Simulation Technologies Fundamental ........................................... 56
Simulating the electrophotographic process
Simulation of inkjet heads
Stage Synchronization Control Technology Exposure ................... 45
S-Toner Output ......................................................................... 37
Subaru Telescope Optical .......................................................... 50
Mirror Surface Inspection Device
Prime Focus Corrector Lens System for the Subaru Telescope

White LED Light Guiding

Input

............................................... 29

XML Technology Fundamental ...................................................... 54

Binary XML Technology
Device Communication using Atom Protocol
X-Ray Image Sensor Medical ...................................................... 51

www.canon.com/technology

Trademarks

IBM is the abbreviation for International Business Machines Corporation.

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, and Adobe Illustrator are trademarks of Adobe Systems
Incorporated.
Bluetooth is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Any implementation of this technology
by Canon is under license.
UPnP is a trademark of UPnP Implementers Corporation, which established the UPnP Forum
SC.
Other names of products or services are mentioned only for informational purposes and may
be registered or pending trademarks of their respective owners.

Want to learn more about Canon technologies? In this section of Canons website
you will find a variety of information, such
as descriptions of Canons product technologies and the underlying elemental technologies, computer generated animations
illustrating the basic functions of Canon
products, behind-the-scenes interviews with
our development staff and the Members
of the Canon Academy of Technology, the
Science Lab that reveals the wonders of
light and nanotechnology in our daily lives,
Canons thinking about technologies, and
much more.

CANON TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS 2009 ENGLISH

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CANON INC.

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TECHNOLOGY
HIGHLIGHTS
2OO9