Company

Headquartered in Westlake Village, California, thirty miles northwest of Los Angeles, AltaSens has taken the world by storm with its award-winning CMOS image sensors for high definition cameras.

At AltaSens we are committed to leading the way, pioneering the latest technology with our next-generation AltaChrome sensors. Our vision is to insert tomorrow's technology into today's products, using innovative CMOS iSoC technology in close collaboration with our partners.

For more details about AltaSens, see the following:
History

AltaSens, Inc. (formerly the Rockwell Scientific CMOS Image Sensor (RSCIS) Group) has quickly become the world leader in high definition image sensors and high frame rate video.

In 2003, we introduced the world's first 12-bit imaging System-on-Chip (iSoC) sensors, the ProCamHD family, with 3T pixels supported by patented taper reset technology. In 2007, our newly introduced line of AltaChrome iSoC sensors has changed HD sensor technology forever with high dynamic range 4T pixels.

Our market acceptance was immediate. In April 2003, the two foremost Japanese camera manufacturers announced HD professional video cameras incorporating 2/3-inch ProCamHD sensors for broadcast. In 2006, our partners launched over a dozen cameras in the HD broadcast, HD videoconferencing, and industrial vision markets. Currently, AltaSens is working with several camera OEMs to incorporate its latest 1/3-inch sensors for consumer applications. AltaSens is universally shaking up such markets as videoconferencing, security video surveillance, machine vision, medical, and scientific applications.
Executive Team
Seiji Shioya President & Chief Executive Officer
Lester Kozlowski Founder & Chief Technology Officer
Robert Baker Chief Operating Officer
Laurent Blanquart Vice President of Engineering
Henry Lin Vice President of Production
Giuseppe Rossi, Ph.D. Vice President of Technical Marketing
Clint Elsemore Vice President of Finance
Gregory Chow Director of Applications Engineering
Richard Mann Director of Characterization
Darren Paulson Director of Quality Assurance
John Richardson, Ph.D. Chief Scientist

 Seiji Shioya, President & Chief Executive Officer 

  With over 23 years of experience in the executive management of high-technology corporations, Mr. Shioya brings strong leadership skills and an in-depth knowledge of the image sensor market to his position as President and CEO of AltaSens. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Shioya served as AltaSens’ Vice-President of Sales and Business Development for a year and a half. Before coming to AltaSens, he was Managing Director for Investment Acceleration at ITX Corporation, a technology and science industry investment firm. In that capacity, Mr. Shioya was responsible for the selection and management of strategic investments, which included the obtaining of funding, recruiting of management, negotiation of agreements, restructuring of organizations, and consolidation of assets. Mr. Shioya continues to serve as a board member of ITX International Holdings, Inc.

Mr. Shioya received his BSEE and MSEE from the University of Tokyo, Japan, and an MBA from Columbia University in New York.

Lester Kozlowski, Founder & Chief Technology Officer

          Lester Kozlowski has over 27 years experience in sensor development, engineering including SoC optimization, and low-noise circuit design and characterization. At AltaSens, Kozlowski leads development of low-noise and low-power imaging Systems-on-Chip for the next generation of HDTV and hybrid cameras. Previously, he was Chief Technologist at Rockwell Scientific and oversaw development of over 100 high performance sensors for ground-breaking cameras including the first CMOS imaging SoC for 1080p HDTV and ultra-low-noise imaging sensors for the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. Kozlowski started his career at Hughes Aircraft developing hybrid focal plane arrays, first using CCD and, later, CMOS technology.

Kozlowski holds BS and MS degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago, was Rockwell Engineer of the Year in 1995, holds 25 patents, and has contributed to over 150 technical publications. He is a member of SPIE, SMPTE and senior member of IEEE.

Robert Baker, Chief Operating Officer

           Robert Baker has over 24 years experience in system engineering, project management and ASIC design. At AltaSens, Baker manages engineering, applications, and production efforts for AltaSens' CMOS image sensors. Prior to joining AltaSens, Baker was Director of Engineering of Arrow Electronics ASIC Business Group, a Fortune 500 company, overseeing all ASIC Engineering efforts for North America. Earlier, Baker spent 16 years at Raytheon (previously Hughes Aircraft) where he held several positions in system engineering and ASIC design. Baker has managed and/or designed over 40 complex SoC ASIC projects, specializing in highly complex, high speed SoC chips. Baker also has several patents in the area of Digital Signal Processing. 

Baker holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Northridge.

 
Laurent Blanquart, Vice President of Engineering

          Laurent Blanquart has over 20 years of experience in system engineering, ASIC and SoC design, with particular emphasis on low-noise and low-power sensor development. At AltaSens, Blanquart is Vice President of Engineering. His responsibilities include managing programs, analog and digital design, and characterization.

Prior to joining AltaSens, he was employed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, working in the field of ultra low power analog integrated circuit design, mainly for pixel detectors in high-energy physics experiments. He started his research career at Centre de Physique des Particules de Marseille, France. Blanquart's technical interests and expertise include very low power analog design, CMOS imager design, and large charged-particle pixel array design. He has authored and co-authored more than 40 papers, holds 2 patents, and has contributed to numerous international conference presentations. He has also given lectures in advanced pixel IC analog design at several research institutes and at the IEEE/NSS symposium.

Blanquart received an M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from Institute Superior d'Electronique du Nord. 


Henry Lin, Vice President of Production 

          Henry Lin serves as VP of Production, offering more than 15 years of experience in the field of semiconductor manufacturing. At AltaSens, Lin is responsible for directing process, assembly, testing, QRA and product engineering, as well as overseeing production control management. Prior to joining AltaSens, Lin was Director of Operations at IC-Media where he managed the production team. Lin also was employed at UMC for eight years as a senior account manager where he was responsible for customer sales and technical support. 

Lin holds an MSEE from Washington University in St. Louis.

Giuseppe Rossi, Ph.D., Vice President of Technical Marketing

          Giuseppe Rossi is VP of Technical Marketing at AltaSens. With  more than 12 years of experience in the field of imaging, Giuseppe has a unique mix of technical and business skills that have matured during his multidisciplinary career.

Giuseppe is responsible for new product development and technology innovation, strategic customer relationships, and new business engagements. Since AltaSens' inception, Giuseppe has covered several executive-level positions; most recently he was VP of Technology. As VP of Engineering, Giuseppe  led the development of the ground-breaking ProCamHD family of sensors, which have been revolutionizing many HD video markets (videoconference, cinematography, and broadcast). Prior to joining AltaSens, Giuseppe was Design Manager for the Mobile Phone Group with Micron Imaging (now Aptina), where he was responsible for the design of very successful high-volume VGA and 1.3 Mpixel CMOS sensors for cell phone modules. Previously, he was a Senior Scientist with Photobit Corporation, focusing on imagers for cell phone applications. Giuseppe currently holds 35 issued patents in the field of image sensors.

Giuseppe received his BSEE and MSEE from Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy, and his Ph.D. in Physics from Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France, for work on X-ray imaging detectors at the ESRF (European Synchrotron Research Facility) in Grenoble, France. He was also a visiting scientist at Princeton University and  a Research Associate at Cornell University in the field of high-performance X-ray imaging.

Clint Elsemore, Vice President of Finance

          Clint Elsemore has over 10 years of experience in the accounting and finance fields.  At AltaSens, Elsemore manages the accounting and finance departments and is responsible for overseeing company financials and ensuring fiscal responsibility.  Prior to AltaSens, Elsemore worked at Rockwell Scientific as a member of the accounting staff; he also oversaw all financial aspects of Rockwell Scientific Licensing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rockwell Scientific. He has over 5 years experience in the field of public accounting, and holds a CPA designation.

Elsemore received a BS in Accounting at California Lutheran University, and holds an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Gregory Chow, Director of Applications Engineering

          Gregory Chow is the Director of Applications Engineering at AltaSens. He began his career designing CCD-based cameras for machine vision and medical imaging applications and now works solely with CMOS imaging sensors. Formerly at Rockwell Scientific, Fairchild Imaging, and Perkin Elmer Optoelectronics, Chow has diverse experience with both CCDs and CMOS imaging system-on-chip sensors and brings significant system-level expertise to AltaSens. He is an expert at facilitating high-throughput computer interface via various frame grabbers. 

Chow graduated from University of British Columbia, Canada with a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Physics, Electrical option.

Richard Mann, Director of Characterization

          Richard Mann has over 25 years of experience in the development of advanced microelectronic products and process technology. He has 10 years of experience in image product and imager process development. His former role was Chief Technology Officer for the ESS Camera Phone Division, where he was responsible for image pipeline advanced product development. Prior to the ESS acquisition of Pictos, Mann served as Director of Characterization and Director of Operations. He has over 20 granted or pending patents in CMOS imager technology, CMOS technology, and image processing algorithms.

Earlier, Mann worked at the Conexant Fabrication Facility in advanced process development for 6 years, where he developed the first CMOS process technology highly optimized for CMOS imager manufacture. Mann started his career in microelectronics at the TRW military electronics division, working for 10 years in the development of advanced radiation-hardened CMOS and bipolar technology.

Mann received his MS in Chemical Engineering from UCLA.  He also holds an MS in Biochemistry from UCLA.

Darren Paulson, Director of Quality Assurance

          Darren Paulson has over 25 years experience in Quality and Operations management.  At AltaSens, he manages all quality functions within the company, including Quality Control, Quality Engineering, Supply Chain Quality, and Inspection & Metrology.  Prior to joining AltaSens, Darren held several positions as a Quality, Material and Operations manager at Litton, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Scientific, and, most recently, Teledyne Sensors & Imaging, where he supported several high-profile Tactical- and Space-based systems, such as the Predator UAV and James Webb Space Telescope.

Darren is Lean Manufacturing/Six Sigma Certified, has held numerous Instructor certifications in high reliability electrical assembly & soldering specifications form NASA, Navy and DoD, and is an active member of the American Society of Quality.

John Richardson, Ph.D., Chief Scientist

          John Richardson came to AltaSens from the University of California Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory where he held a position for eight years as a research physicist. He spent a significant period of his career developing thin, radiation-hard silicon particle detectors for high-energy physics experiments at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.  At AltaSens, Richardson specializes in data analysis, image correction algorithm development, real-time data acquisition software development and image sensor characterization.  Prior to his time in Berkeley, Richardson won a PPARC Research Fellowship in the United Kingdom.  Such fellowships are rare and are reserved for the cream of young postdoctoral researchers in Particle Physics and Astronomy. 

Richardson received his Ph.D. in Experimental Particle Physics from the University of Liverpool, the UK's foremost institute within that field. He has authored and co-authored over 70 publications within respected scientific journals and contributed to several international Experimental Physics conferences.

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