Coherent has shipped over 200 billion VCSELs
Company expects semiconductor laser-based sensing to expand into many new applications areas
Optoelectronics firm Coherent has announced that is has shipped more than 200 billion VCSEL emitters to date for sensing applications.
“In 2013, we began working on two-dimensional VCSEL arrays for 3D sensing in smart phones,” said Giovanni Barbarossa, Coherent chief strategy officer and president of the materials segment. “We scaled our production capabilities from 3-inch to 6-inch wafers in 2017, just in time to help enable the market launch of the first smartphones with facial biometrics."
Barbarossa adds that the company believes semiconductor laser-based sensing applications will continue to expand into new applications such as in smart watches for health monitoring and in smart glasses for extended reality. VCSELs will also continue to enable a growing market for in-cabin sensing and LiDAR in automotive.
The company recently announced a new VCSEL module technology that enables ultracompact pattern projectors, flood illuminators, and tightly integrated sensing subsystems. This patented module technology relies on an flip-chip assembly of backside-emitting VCSEL arrays on application-specific integrated circuits and supports the integration of photodetector arrays.
