Infineon: ToF technology has great prospects and we hope to work with partners in more fields

LG's new phone LG G8 ThinQ released at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC 2019) uses the depth perception capability of the front camera to support highly secure phone unlocking and payment identification authentication. This is inseparable from Infineon's REAL3 image sensor with ToF technology.

Infineon's REAL3 image sensors are not only used in smartphones, but also in many markets. ToF image sensors for mobile and industrial applications have been put into mass production. The optimized CMOS technology can achieve the best performance, the lowest power consumption and the lowest cost, and the company's own factories and foundries ensure high production capacity. At the same time, automotive ToF is also being introduced to customers.

Recently, EEWORLD interviewed Philipp von Schierstädt, Global Vice President and Head of RF and Sensor Business at Infineon Technologies, Power Management and Diversified Business Unit, and had an in-depth discussion on Infineon’s ToF technology. The following are the details of the interview.

Philipp von Schierstädt, Vice President and Head of Power Management and Diversified Business Unit – RF & Sensors at Infineon Technologies

1. Please briefly introduce Infineon’s efforts in developing and evolving ToF technology.

Infineon ToF first entered the automotive business. This is because cars have a lot of sensor systems: 2D cameras, radars of different wavelengths, etc. It was also from this time that we started to cooperate with pmd technologies. Today, some car manufacturers on the market have used gesture sensing functions based on our ToF technology in the car to answer calls or adjust the volume. We also develop out-of-car functions such as pedestrian protection, autonomous driving or parking. This means that we need to deal with very demanding problems, such as those caused by direct sunlight or at a distance of 50 meters.

Now, we can see ToF technology being applied not only to consumer products and smartphones, but also to e-commerce, shopping, and home appliance solutions. This brings us many opportunities.

2. In early 2019, IDEMIA, Infineon Technologies and pmd technologies joined forces to provide a seamless experience for end users by combining the latest hardware from Infineon and pmd technologies with IDEMIA's cutting-edge 3D Face biometric software. How will Infineon build the entire ToF ecosystem? In addition to IDEMIA and pmd, who are your other partners?

Infineon and pmd technologies have a long-term development collaboration on ToF solutions. We have worked with multiple partners to drive the development of the ecosystem around key ToF system components, ToF imagers and depth processing algorithms provided by Infineon and pmd. ToF camera modules are a focus, and our partners include module manufacturers and component providers (such as VCSEL suppliers). Others include application software companies that use 3D data to process applications such as 3D face verification, RGB camera enhancement, 3D scanning, augmented reality, etc. It is important to drive the development of the ToF ecosystem in order to achieve the best system performance and excellent user experience in the final device.

3. In addition to ToF, there are many other technologies that can achieve similar results. What are the main advantages of ToF technology? (such as infrared, depth camera, millimeter wave radar, etc.)

ToF sensors have advantages over structured light and stereo imaging. First, because ToF has only two components, while structured light and stereo imaging require 3 or 4. In addition, ToF does not require a baseline, which ensures its small form factor, does not require baseline calibration, and also improves durability. No need for baseline calibration means lower production costs. Finally, ToF also does not require the use of complex image recognition algorithms. This saves a lot of power while providing better results. In short: ToF technology is smaller, cheaper, and more durable than other 3D technologies.

Millimeter wave radar is different from ToF in that it is non-optical and therefore cannot provide images like the human eye. The advantage of this technology is that it can "see through" things and detect small movements, even in foggy and dusty environments.

4. Many competitors have released ToF products, but their basic principles are not exactly the same. What are Infineon's advantages compared to them?

Although many companies have announced ToF technology activities, only a few have come up with viable solutions that meet customer expectations for performance and yield. All solutions currently on the market, including Infineon's, are based on the indirect ToF concept. Direct ToF is an alternative, but it offers lower resolution and requires more complex pixel circuits, which makes it more expensive.

5.What are the key technical indicators of ToF?

LG's latest ToF sensor is used in mobile phones. We have achieved excellent sensitivity and robust indoor and outdoor operation performance through a tiny sensor chip (4.4x5.0mm). The pixel array is highly sensitive to 940 nm infrared light, which can bring excellent outdoor performance. This is achieved by the patented background illumination suppression (SBI) circuit in each pixel. Thanks to its high integration, each IRS2381C image sensor is essentially a tiny single-chip ToF camera. This greatly reduces the total bill of materials and reduces the actual size of the camera module without compromising performance and minimizing power consumption.

6. Does the cancellation of Project Tango have a significant impact on ToF? How will mobile phone OEMs adopt ToF now?

Together with Google, we pioneered the market in Project Tango. We released two smartphones with Infineon imagers, but the ecosystem of apps was too small to take it further.

Now, 3D sensing technology has undoubtedly become a major selling point for mobile phones that drives users to make choices. More cameras on the front and back of the phone, with many innovative features and new use cases supported by 3D sensing technology, will become a key theme that determines the development of the mobile phone market in the next few years. Considering the performance, miniaturization, integration and power consumption advantages that ToF can bring, it will become the most popular technology among popular mobile phone technologies.

Being the first to market will definitely help build brand reputation. The rich experience we have gained in recent years has been recognized by our customers, and we see a wide range of markets for our products.

7. The market predicts that the shipment of 3D sensing mobile phones will increase from 50 million units in 2017 to 290 million units in 2019. What are the market opportunities for Infineon?

The market has huge potential and we are ready to support the huge demand in the market.

8. What will be the application focus of ToF technology in the mobile phone field in the future? Are there any interesting applications that you can share with us? (Including facial recognition and AR/VR applications)

In the LG G8, we developed and demonstrated all the features: facial recognition, using gestures to interact with the phone "beyond the touch screen", it can even see the veins in your hand. Veins, like fingerprints, are unique and can be used to unlock the phone, authorize payments, etc. It is the most secure identity authentication currently available.

We are convinced that this technology can already include key features that will improve consumers’ mobile “life”, such as augmented reality, gradients, and photo enhancements such as bokeh. It can also be used to scan a room, which is very attractive for e-commerce.

9. In addition to mobile phones, ToF has a broader development space. Which areas does Infineon mainly focus on? For example, in the automotive and manufacturing industries, in what scenarios can people give full play to the advantages of ToF?

We believe that Infineon ToF solutions have great potential in all walks of life: In the automotive field, ToF technology can be used inside and outside the car. In the consumer field, smartphones, robotics, smart appliances and e-commerce are very attractive application areas. VR, AR and games bring application opportunities beyond physical products. For example, in the fashion field, with the help of AR technology, people can try on clothes without going to the store, and the collaborative system using ToF technology can allow people to work with people on the other side of the earth.