Translated from DIGITIMES:
2021 iPhone rear lens plans to fully import ToF VCSEL, now the second supplier
He Zhizhong / Taipei 2020-12-18
Sales of the 5G iPhone 12 series have been reported frequently. Among them, the Pro series equipped with a time-of-flight (ToF) rear lens LiDAR Scanner is the most popular. At present, the market has reported that 4 new iPhone models will have the opportunity to be fully introduced next year, and the supply chain industry will also increase.
Recently, it has been reported from the supply chain that Apple is expected to launch four iPhone 13 (tentative name) models in 2021. It is planned to fully introduce LiDAR Scanner with D-ToF (Direct ToF) technology, and its surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) ) Components continue to be manufactured by semiconductor foundry, the leading manufacturer of gallium arsenide wafers. However, major American IDM manufacturers II-VI have also joined the production ranks. The overall demand for ToF VCSELs is expected to increase.
Those familiar with the supply chain said that the VCSEL chips used by Apple’s ToF LiDAR in 2021, in addition to the products jointly developed by Apple and Lumentum, a US-based laser chip manufacturer, will also be added to the VCSEL part for ToF. The second supplier. The source of Lumentum's wafers is still the British IQE designated by Apple, and it is reported that II-VI will use its own wafers.
Recently, it has been reported from the supply chain that Wenmao continues to expand the purchase of ToF-specific VCSEL testing and measurement equipment, and the number has increased by about 20 to 30%. In addition, the case industry also indirectly confirmed that the number of holes for the rear lens of iPhone 13 has increased Trends, the industry speculates that in 2021, the iPhone 13 will increase the probability of adopting D-ToF LiDAR Scanner, and it will even be fully adopted.
In fact, Apple’s "front lens" Face ID structured light 3D sensing has gone through several generations. When it was first launched, Lumentum and Wen Mao were indeed the exclusive supply chain of VCSELs, but Apple has always tended to jointly design and develop chips. Share the know-how with the second supplier to reduce dependence on a single manufacturer. Nearly 1 to 2 generations of the VCSEL supply chain for Face ID, II-VI has continued to be supplied in small quantities.
In order to gain access to AR/VR applications, the iPad Pro, which is the first to be equipped with a “rear lens” LiDAR scanner in the first half of 2020, and the late iPhone 12 Pro series in the second half of the year, adopted VCSELs for D-ToF. Both Lumentum and Wen Mao took orders.
The iPhone 13 uses a 3D sensing device, there are more obvious changes. One is that the iPhone 13 is expected to reduce the volume of the structured light 3D sensing module called "bangs". It is understood that the outside world originally expected to streamline one VCSEL chip in the front lens and one iPhone's Face ID. In addition, the number of VCSELs used in ToF lenses is expected to be reduced from 3 this year to 2.
However, according to recent investigations, Apple will use two VCSEL Dies for the front Face ID module to integrate the packaging method to reduce the distance between the flood light source and the laser chip of the structured light source, and package it into a single chip size. The volume, but the number of chips contained is still 2 Die. From the perspective of the overall Face ID plus the number of ToF VCSELs, it still maintains 3 chips.
However, the size reduction will have a slight impact on the GaAs wafer foundry priced by the number of wafers, but the increase in overall demand energy will be relatively positive for the wafer foundry.
Winmao Semiconductor’s speech system has never made public comments on specific products and customer conditions. However, it is understood that as all 4 models of the iPhone 13 series are expected to use D-ToF LiDAR Scanners, it has recently been reported that II-VI has vigorously purchased ToF VCSEL detection related machines. The industry speculates that the number of machines is stable. The ratio of inspection related machines for Mao and II-VI may be 2:1.
Companies familiar with the supply chain of the three and five groups said that regardless of whether Apple’s iPhone 13 is fully equipped with D-ToF, the Android camp is expected to follow Apple’s entry into the D-ToF technology application and return to the delayed ToF field, which will benefit the VCSEL generation. The company's Wenmao, Hongjieke, and the new optoelectronics company, the chip manufacturer; the inspection and measurement equipment for 3D sensing-related optical components, use the Zhimao electronic products designated by Apple.
From the perspective of VCSEL demand, although II-VI has the opportunity to further share Lumentum and Stable VCSEL orders after Face ID, only two of the four iPhone 12 series using ToF will increase to iPhone 13. With the opportunity to fully introduce 4 models, the total number of VCSEL chips can see a clear growth trend. The expansion of 3D sensing and ToF technology applications in 2021 will still be worth looking forward to.
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