Backside Illumination Gets Fast

With speeds of over 1-million frames per second, high-speed imaging is an invaluable research tool capable of capturing the most fleeting events in scientific and engineering applications. Yet, achieving this speed comes with strings attached. Most high-speed cameras are designed to achieve a maximum gigapixel/second (Gpx/sec) throughput, offered in a trade-off of frame rate to resolution. For example, a 25 Gpx/sec camera reaches 25,700 frames per second (fps) at a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels and can achieve a higher frame rate of 28,500 at a smaller resolution of 1280 × 720. Both combinations have almost the same throughput. Very high frame rates such as 1-million fps are accompanied by very small resolutions, making it more challenging to see the subject matter.