Dr. Junichi Nakamura Awarded Prize for Contributions to CMOS Image Sensor Technology

SAN JOSE, Calif. & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aptina is pleased to announce Junichi Nakamura, Ph.D., Managing Director for Aptina’s Tokyo CMOS Image Sensor Design Center is a recipient of the 2008 Takayanagi Memorial Award for Encouragement. This prestigious honor which is accompanied by a monetary award is granted to only three recipients each year by the Japan based Takayanagi Foundation for Electronics Science and Technology for outstanding achievements in electronic science and its applications. The foundation committee’s selection of Dr. Nakamura for the award was based upon his contributions to CMOS image sensor technology advancement. His extensive contributions to CMOS image sensor technology have served as a foundation of expertise and insight for the image sensor industry for over 20 years.

“I’m pleased to see that Dr. Nakamura is being recognized for his contribution to CMOS image sensor technology. The Takayanagi Foundation’s presentation of the Takayanagi Memorial Award for Encouragement attests to his hard work and high standards in scientific research and design,” says Bob Gove, president and chief technology officer at Aptina. “He has played a key role in the success of CMOS image sensors’ image quality and their prevalent use in camera phones, cameras, PC’s, automobiles, scanners, gaming and numerous other new applications. Aptina is honored to have his professional and technological expertise and we congratulate him on his award and continuing efforts in advancing image excellence.”

Dr. Nakamura’s selection for the Takayanagi Memorial Award for Encouragement was based upon a number of factors including his active pixel sensor research and development that preceded the concept of modern CMOS image sensors in the early 1990’s; his invention of novel readout methods for active pixel sensors, and his leadership of the development of a CMOS image sensor for Super-Hi Vision (SHV) cameras. Super Hi-Vision, also known as Ultra High Definition Video, is a video format developed by NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories that is 16 times the pixel resolution found in existing HDTV.

Dr. Nakamura received a B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. degree in electronics engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan, in 1979 and 1981, respectively. He received his Ph.D. degree in electronics engineering from the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, in 2000. Highlights of his early work with image sensors include optical image processing, work on the development of active pixel sensors, including static induction transistor image sensors and MOS type image sensors at the Olympus Optical Company. He was a Distinguished Visiting Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, where he pioneered many CMOS advancements with Dr. Eric R. Fossum who led the Advanced Imager and Focal-plane Technology Group. In 2000 he joined Photobit where he led several sensor developments.

Since 2001 Dr. Nakamura has led the Tokyo Imaging Design Center, Micron Japan, Ltd., an integral part of Aptina’s CMOS image sensor design initiatives. Nakamura is a member of the Institute of Image Information and Television Engineers of Japan and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

“Having worked with Junichi on groundbreaking image sensor technology projects since the early days of Active Pixel Sensors in CMOS imaging at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I am very familiar with his dedication to advancing CMOS image sensor technology,” notes Dr. Eric R. Fossum, president of Imagesensors, Inc. “Dr. Nakamura’s work in science and technology are reflected and honored in his receiving the Takayanagi Memorial Award for Encouragement.”

Takayanagi Award

Kenjiro Takayanagi, known as the “Father of Television” was the founder of the Takayanagi Memorial Foundation for Electronic Science and Technology Corporation which was authorized in 1984 and which later became a testing research facility. The foundation awards research grants to individual recipients for outstanding achievements in electrical science and its applications as well as individual recipients for outstanding achievements in science broadcasting programs.

©2009 Aptina Imaging Corporation. All rights reserved. Information is subject to change without notice.

About Aptina

Aptina, a subsidiary of Micron Technology, Inc. is a global provider of CMOS imaging solutions. A leading provider of 2, 3 and 5 mega-pixel CMOS image sensors to the industry’s most popular, mainstream and high-end mobile phone manufacturers, Aptina’s CMOS image sensors also bring high-quality picture and video capabilities to digital still cameras, personal media video recorders, surveillance cameras, notebook cameras, and automotive applications.

Aptina continues to drive innovation in the market with its growing portfolio of CMOS technologies and image sensor solutions. For additional information on Aptina, visit www.aptina.com.

About Micron

Micron Technology, Inc., is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets DRAMs, NAND flash memory, CMOS image sensors, other semiconductor components, and memory modules for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, and mobile products. Micron's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. visit www.micron.com.

Aptina and the Aptina logo are trademarks of Aptina Imaging Corporation. Micron and the Micron orbit logo are trademarks of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the documents the Company files on a consolidated basis from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the Company’s most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. These documents contain and identify important factors that could cause the actual results for the Company on a consolidated basis to differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking statements (see Certain Factors). Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.

Contacts

Aptina Imaging Corporation

Mark Wilson, 408-660-2298

markwilson@aptina.com