Artilux, the leader of GeSi (germanium-silicon) photonics technology and pioneer of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) based SWIR (short-wavelength infrared) optical sensing, imaging and communication, today announced its collaboration with VisEra Technologies (TWSE: 6789) on the latest Metalens technology. The newly unveiled Metalens technology differs from traditional curved lens designs by directly fabricating, on a 12” silicon substrate, fully-planar and high-precision nanostructures for precise control of light waves. By synergizing Artilux’s core GeSi technology with VisEra’s advanced processing capabilities, the demonstrated mass-production-ready Metalens technology significantly enhances optical system performance, production efficiency and yield. This cutting-edge technology is versatile and can be broadly applied in areas such as optical sensing, optical imaging, optical communication, and AI-driven commercial applications.

Scaling the Future: Opportunities and Breakthroughs in Metalens Technology
With the rise of artificial intelligence, robotics, and silicon photonics applications, silicon chips implemented for optical sensing, imaging, and communication are set to play a pivotal role in advancing these industries. As an example, smartphones and wearables having built-in image sensing, physiological signal monitoring, and AI-assistant capabilities will become increasingly prevalent. Moreover, with high bandwidth, long reach, and power efficiency advantages, silicon photonics is poised to become a critical component for supporting future AI model training and inference in AI data centers. As hardware designs require greater miniaturization at the chip-level, silicon-based "Metalens” technology will lead and accelerate the deployment of these applications.

Metalens technology offers the benefits of single-wafer process integration and compact optical module design, paving the way for silicon chips to gain growth momentum in the optical field. 

Currently, most optical systems rely on traditional optical lenses, which utilize parabolic or spherical surface structures to focus light and control its amplitude, phase, and polarization properties. However, this approach is constrained by physical limitations, and requires precise mechanical alignment. Additionally, the curved designs of complex optical components demand highly accurate coating and lens-formation processes. These challenges make it difficult to achieve wafer-level integration with CMOS-based semiconductor processes and optical sensors, posing a significant hurdle to the miniaturization and integration of optical systems.

Innovative GeSi and SWIR Sensing Technology Set to Drive Application Deployment via Ultra-Thin Optical Modules
Meta-Surface technology is redefining optical innovation by replacing traditional curved microlenses with ultra-thin, fully planar optical components. This advancement significantly reduces chip size and thickness, increases design freedom for optical modules, minimizes signal interference, and enables precise optical wavefront control. Unlike the emitter-end DOE (Diffraction Optical Element) technology, Artilux’s innovative Metalens technology directly manufactures silicon-based nanostructures on 12” silicon substrates with ultra-high precision. By seamlessly integrating CMOS processes and core GeSi technology on a silicon wafer, this pioneering work enhances production efficiency and yield rates, supporting SWIR wavelengths. With increased optical coupling efficiency, this technology offers versatile solutions for AI applications in optical sensing, imaging, and communication, catering to a wide range of industries such as wearables, biomedical, LiDAR, mixed reality, aerospace, and defense.

Neil Na, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Artilux, stated, "Artilux has gained international recognitions for its innovations in semiconductor technology. We are delighted to once again share our independently designed Meta-Surface solution, integrating VisEra's leading expertise in 12” wafer-level optical manufacturing processes. This collaboration successfully creates ultra-thin optical components that can precisely control light waves, and enables applications across SWIR wavelength for optical sensing, optical imaging, optical communication and artificial intelligence. We believe this technology not only holds groundbreaking value in the optical field but will also accelerate the development and realization of next-generation optical technologies."

JC Hsieh, Vice President in Research and Development Organization of VisEra, emphasized, "At VisEra, we continuously engage in global CMOS imaging and optical sensor industry developments while utilizing our semiconductor manufacturing strengths and key technologies R&D and partnerships to enhance productivity and efficiency. We are pleased that our business partner, Artilux, has incorporated VisEra’s silicon-based Metalens process technology to advance micro-optical elements integration. This collaboration allows us to break through conventional form factor limitations in design and manufacturing. We look forward to our collaboration driving more innovative applications in the optical sensing industry and accelerating the adoption of Metalens technology."

Metalens technology demonstrates critical potential in industries related to silicon photonics, particularly in enabling miniaturization, improved integration, and enhanced performance of optical components. As advancements in materials and manufacturing processes continue to refine the technology, many existing challenges are gradually being overcome. Looking ahead, Metalens are expected to become standard optical components in silicon photonics and sensing applications, driving the next wave of innovation in optical chips and expanding market opportunities.

TrendForce 2025 Infrared Sensing Application Market and Branding Strategies
Release: 01 January 2025
Format: PDF / EXCEL
Language: Traditional Chinese / English
Page: 196