ams.com/-/10-22-2018-ams-financial-results-q3-2018
ams’ business showed a strong performance in the third quarter of 2018 which was driven by the previously expected significant product ramps in its consumer business. Supported by the anticipated positive demand across end markets, ams recorded third quarter results well in line with previous expectations.
ams’ consumer and communications business was again the biggest contributor to its overall results. As the leader in optical sensing ams offers an unmatched portfolio covering high performance solutions for 3D sensing including VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser)-based illumination, TrueColor and other high quality display management, spectral sensing, advanced proximity sensing and other optical applications. Leveraging its extensive technology base, ams is a key innovator in optical technologies and continues to advance high performance optical sensing. ams is a leading provider of 3D sensing technology as shown by the large scale 3D sensing ramp ams is realizing this second half for a major global smartphone platform. For this program, ams is ramping very high volumes of differentiated optical systems encompassing complex optical manufacturing and high performance wafer level optics.
ams is strongly positioned to support current and upcoming 3D sensing implementations across different technologies in 2018, 2019 and beyond as 3D sensing momentum continues to increase. As expected, the smartphone market is experiencing multi-year development and implementation cycles for 3D sensing which are due to the complexity of the technology. This has, however, not impacted the clear 3D sensing focus ams observes at smartphone OEMs and ecosystem players targeting broad usage of the technology through the coming years.
ams sees ongoing coexistence of the 3D sensing approaches structured light, ToF (time-of-flight) and active stereo vision and is successful in all three areas. Based on its leading portfolio of 3D sensing technologies, solutions and system know-how, ams addresses face-related and world-facing applications and is engaged in numerous OEM projects and discussions at various stages. This includes current design activities for a world-facing 3D sensing application for a major smartphone OEM.
The announced 3D sensing design-wins for Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi and a further major Android smartphone OEM have both moved to production. ams has also won two designs in Android ToF (time-of-flight) 3D systems for two Asian smartphone OEMs leveraging its illumination and VCSEL expertise. ams’ active stereo vision 3D developments with major Android ecosystem players for reference solutions are progressing rapidly at a high level of partner engagement. ams enables a high quality implementation bringing 3D sensing to a wider range of Android devices and expects to provide further details before year end. Based on advanced OEM discussions, ams expects active stereo vision 3D sensing built around ams technology in first smartphones next year.
ams’ differentiated high power VCSEL portfolio is showing significant design momentum in different 3D systems based on the competitive advantages of its VCSEL technology and its 3D system expertise. ams therefore expects to build a strong market position in high performance VCSELs for consumer 3D sensing. ams confirms broad market traction with multiple 3D programs won or in advanced discussion which underlines the strength of its 3D illumination portfolio including dot projection, different types of flood illumination, proximity sensing, and pattern projection.
All in all, ams’ extensive OEM and ecosystem player engagements and design activities across 3D technologies underscore the ongoing momentum in consumer 3D sensing adoption despite the emergence of different timelines in this market.
ams is also ramping TrueColor optical sensing solutions for display management in very high volume through the second half of this year. ams has likewise secured first design wins for advanced behind-OLED-display proximity and light sensing at a major Asian smartphone OEM which enables bezel-less phone designs. ams continues focused development efforts for new optical sensing applications while first spectral sensing shipments are expected to start as previously indicated with attractive expected revenues in 2019. ams’ audio sensing business continued to show a robust performance in the third quarter while its other consumer product lines provided attractive contributions from high shipment rates.
ams’ industrial, medical and automotive businesses contributed positively to its overall business development. ams’ industrial business showed a good performance in the third quarter based on ongoing solid demand in automation, HABA, industrial sensing, and industrial imaging. As a key provider of industrial sensing solutions to leading OEMs ams benefits from increasing sensor deployment in manufacturing, HABA, industrial IoT and other markets. In industrial imaging, ams’ industry-leading global shutter portfolio is gaining further high value wins and offers attractive growth perspectives for the coming years. ams also won an industrial VCSEL design with an online shopping leader for warehousing and distribution robotics. ams’ medical business recorded another attractive quarter with good volumes for computed tomography (CT), digital X-ray, mammography, and miniature camera endoscopy where ams sees very good market traction. Leveraging imaging and optical technologies ams enables high quality diagnostics and innovation in existing and emerging medical and personal health applications.
ams’ automotive business continues to perform well and recorded healthy results in the third quarter. Focusing on safety, driver assistance, position sensing, and chassis control ams sees ongoing attractive demand for its automotive solutions. While ams pursues significant development efforts for the reported major program win in VCSEL illumination for solid-state LIDAR, industry interest in its automotive sensing technologies continues to broaden particularly in Asia and Japan. This is driven by ams’ differentiated portfolio and strong know-how in new and upcoming applications such as 3D sensing and LIDAR. ams is receiving very positive feedback from the LIDAR space on its VCSEL/driver IC solutions and optical path capabilities and can offer outstanding optical performance in different LIDAR implementations. ams sees additional industry players starting to engage with them in LIDAR and 3D sensing while design activities for a first in-cabin 3D sensing project are progressing for a leading OEM.
To support its range of production needs ams implemented additional manufacturing investments into its Singapore facilities in the quarter which included equipment for the internal VCSEL production line. The construction of its internal high power VCSEL capacity for consumer applications is progressing to plan with production ramp scheduled to start around the middle of next year.
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