STMicroelectronics expands into 3D depth sensing with latest time-of-flight sensors

Rhea-AI Summary

STMicroelectronics expands its portfolio with new direct and indirect Time-of-Flight sensors for various applications, including camera assist, virtual reality, robotics, and smart buildings. The company introduces an all-in-one dToF LiDAR module with market-leading resolution and the world's smallest iToF sensor in volume production. STMicroelectronics aims to enhance sensor capabilities for smart devices, home appliances, and industrial automation.

Insights

Market Research Analyst

The announcement by STMicroelectronics regarding the expansion of their Time-of-Flight sensor technology represents a significant advancement in the semiconductor and sensor market. The introduction of a new direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR device, the VL53L9, with a unique dual scan flood illumination, is poised to enhance the capabilities of camera-assist functions in smartphones and AR/VR applications. This innovation is likely to be closely watched by competitors and could potentially shift market dynamics, particularly in the high-resolution sensor segment. The company's claim of a market-first with the VL53L9's resolution and integrated features could solidify its market position and attract new customers seeking advanced sensor solutions.

Furthermore, the start of volume production and the early design win for the VD55H1 ToF sensor with Lanxin Technology underscores STMicroelectronics' ability to penetrate various markets, including mobile robotics and smart building applications. The sensor's high-resolution and low power consumption, attributed to the stacked-wafer manufacturing process, are competitive advantages that could lead to increased adoption and potentially higher market share. It's important to monitor how these technological advancements translate into financial performance for STMicroelectronics, particularly in terms of revenue growth and market penetration in the coming quarters.

Financial Analyst

The financial implications of STMicroelectronics' new sensor technologies are multifaceted. The development of the VL53L9 and VD55H1 sensors can be expected to drive revenue growth for the company through increased sales in the smartphone, AR/VR and robotics sectors. The direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR module, with its high-resolution capabilities, addresses the growing demand for advanced camera-assist features, which could lead to a surge in orders from smartphone manufacturers. Additionally, the early design win for the VD55H1 sensor indicates a solid start in capturing the robotics and smart building market segments.

Investors should consider the potential increase in R&D and marketing expenses associated with the launch of these new products, which may impact short-term profitability. However, the long-term benefits could include improved margins due to the proprietary nature of the technology and the vertical integration of STMicroelectronics' supply chain. The company's ability to maintain competitive pricing while delivering high-performance sensors will be crucial in assessing the long-term financial impact of these developments.

Technology Analyst

STMicroelectronics' advancement in Time-of-Flight sensor technology, particularly the VL53L9 and VD55H1 sensors, represents a notable technological leap in 3D sensing capabilities. The VL53L9's dual scan flood illumination is a unique feature that enhances object detection and depth mapping, which is critical for applications such as virtual reality and advanced photography. This could lead to a new standard in sensor performance, influencing future design choices across the industry.

The VD55H1's compact size and high-resolution capability for precise depth-sensing in robotics and smart buildings demonstrate STMicroelectronics' commitment to innovation in the iToF segment. The company's use of backside illumination in its stacked-wafer manufacturing process is a technical achievement that allows for high resolution with reduced power consumption, which is particularly relevant in today's market where energy efficiency is increasingly important. The implications of these technologies on the development of edge AI and machine vision could be substantial, offering new possibilities in automation and user interaction.

STMicroelectronics expands into 3D depth sensing
with latest time-of-flight sensors

• Building on a leading position in direct Time-of-Flight sensors, with two billion FlightSense™ devices sold, ST reveals new direct and indirect Time-of-Flight sensors for key applications like camera assist, virtual reality, 3D webcam, robotics and smart buildings
  
  
• Market-first true all-in-one dToF LiDAR module with up to 2.3k zones, targets smartphone camera-assist and AR/VR applications
  
  
• The world’s smallest iToF sensor with 672x804-pixel resolution, is now in volume production with a first design win at Lanxin Technology
  
  

Geneva, Switzerland, February 22, 2024 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, announced an all-in-one, direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) module with market-leading 2.3k resolution, and revealed an early design win for the world's smallest 500k-pixel indirect Time-of-Flight (iToF) sensor.

“ToF sensors, which can accurately measure the distance to objects in a scene, are driving exciting new capabilities in smart devices, home appliances, and industrial automation. We have already delivered two billion sensors into the market and continue to extend our unique portfolio, which covers all types from the simplest single-zone devices up to our latest high-resolution 3D indirect and direct ToF sensors,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, General Manager, Imaging Sub-Group at STMicroelectronics. “Our vertically integrated supply chain, covering everything from pixel and metasurface lens technology and design to fabrication, with geographically diversified in-house high-volume module assembly plants, lets us deliver extremely innovative, highly integrated, and high-performing sensors.”

The VL53L9, announced today, is a new direct ToF 3D LiDAR device with a resolution of up to 2.3k zones. Integrating a dual scan flood illumination, unique in the market, the LiDAR can detect small objects and edges and captures both 2D infrared (IR) images and 3D depth map information. It comes as a ready-to-use low power module with its on-chip dToF processing, requiring no extra external components or calibration. Additionally, the device delivers state-of-the-art ranging performance from 5cm to 10 meters.

VL53L9’s suite of features elevates camera-assist performance, supporting macro up to telephoto photography. It enables features such as laser autofocus, bokeh, and cinematic effects for still and video at 60fps (frame per second). Virtual reality (VR) systems can leverage accurate depth and 2D images to enhance spatial mapping for more immersive gaming and other VR experiences like virtual visits or 3D avatars. In addition, the sensor’s ability to detect the edges of small objects at short and ultra-long ranges makes it suitable for applications such as virtual reality or SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping).

ST is also announcing news of its VD55H1 ToF sensor, including the start of volume production and an early design win with Lanxin Technology, a China-based company focusing on mobile-robot deep-vision systems. MRDVS, a subsidiary company, has chosen the VD55H1 to add high-accuracy depth-sensing to its 3D cameras. The high-performance, ultra-compact cameras with ST’s sensor inside combine the power of 3D vision and edge AI, delivering intelligent obstacle avoidance and high-precision docking in mobile robots.

In addition to machine vision, the VD55H1 is ideal for 3D webcams and PC applications, 3D reconstruction for VR headsets, people counting and activity detection in smart homes and buildings. It packs 672 x 804 sensing pixels in a tiny chip size and can accurately map a three-dimensional surface by measuring distance to over half a million points. ST’s stacked-wafer manufacturing process with backside illumination enables unparalleled resolution with smaller die size and lower power consumption than alternative iToF sensors in the market. These characteristics give the sensors their excellent credentials in 3D content creation for webcams and VR applications including virtual avatars, hand modeling and gaming.

First samples of the VL53L9 are already available for lead customers and mass production is scheduled for early 2025. The VD55H1 is in full production now.

Pricing information and sample requests are available at local ST sales offices.

ST will showcase a range of ToF sensors including the VL53L9 and explain more about its technologies at Mobile World Congress 2024, in Barcelona, February 26-29, at booth 7A61.

Notes to Editors

Time-of-flight (ToF) sensors use photon travel time between two points to calculate the distance between those points.

3D ToF depth sensors provide a map of ranging information computing the distance to multiple objects in the field-of-view. With flood illumination, 3D sensors are also able to acquire an IR 2D frame used to improve the post-processing and so enrich the user experience. 3D ToF sensors can map a scene for robot navigation and collision avoidance, detect and localize objects or people for smart building applications such as room-usage analysis and emergency assistance. Combining a 3D ToF rendering with the output of a color image sensor gives the opportunity to create truly immersive virtual reality experiences.

The VD55H1 calculates the distance to points on a surface by measuring the phase shift between its emitted signal and the received, reflected signal. This indirect Time-of-Flight (iToF) sensing is a complementary technique to direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) sensing used by sensors like the VL53L9, which measures the time between transmitting and receiving the reflected signals. ST’s broad portfolio of advanced technologies enables the Company to design both direct and indirect high-resolution ToF sensors, and offer optimized solutions tailored to application requirements.

About STMicroelectronics
At ST, we are over 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are committed to achieving our goal to become carbon neutral on scope 1 and 2 and partially scope 3 by 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com.

For Press Information Contact:

Alexis Breton        
Corporate External Communications
Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
alexis.breton@st.com

Attachments

• P4608D -- Feb 22 2024 -- VD55H1 and VL53L9 ToF sensors_FINAL FOR PUBLICATION
• P4608D -- Feb 22 2024 -- VD55H1 and VL53L9 ToF sensors_IMAGE

FAQ

What did STMicroelectronics announce regarding Time-of-Flight sensors?

STMicroelectronics announced new direct and indirect Time-of-Flight sensors for applications like camera assist, virtual reality, robotics, and smart buildings.

What is the ticker symbol for STMicroelectronics?

The ticker symbol for STMicroelectronics is STM.

What is the resolution of the new direct ToF 3D LiDAR device?

The new direct ToF 3D LiDAR device has a resolution of up to 2.3k zones.

What are some key features of the VL53L9 ToF sensor?

The VL53L9 ToF sensor offers state-of-the-art ranging performance from 5cm to 10 meters and supports features like laser autofocus, bokeh, and cinematic effects for photography and video.

Which company chose the VD55H1 ToF sensor for its 3D cameras?

Lanxin Technology, a China-based company focusing on mobile-robot deep-vision systems, chose the VD55H1 ToF sensor for its high-accuracy depth-sensing capabilities.