The unexplained effect of laser causing a dead row or, less often, a dead column in image sensors keep appearing in more and more Youtube videos. Most videos show damage in larger sensor cameras, while smartphone image sensor damage is a rarity. The larger lens probably collects more laser energy. Or the higher quality lens might be able to focus light into a smaller spot. Still, in theory, the on-chip microlens should sway the light away from the metals and pixel transistors, so the damage should be limited to the PD and TG. This is local to the affected pixel and should not affect the full row or column.
So far, the damaged sensors appear to be all FSI. I was not able to find a single BSI sensor affected. This might be an unsung advantage of BSI tech.
Update: As somebody pointed in comments, there is a MSc thesis "Damage Mechanisms in Visible Band Cameras Subjected to Continuous Wave Laser Attack", July 2014 Sacha Casken, Cranfield University. One interesting observation of the thesis is that no damage is made by red lasers, explained by their larger divergence. It remains to be seen whether this explanation is correct or not.
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