Numerous orders are flowing to 3D sensing component suppliers including Lumentum and Win Semiconductor because of the boom in 3D sensing in 2018. Placed by Apple and other application makers, those orders are bringing fortune to suppliers.

The iPhone X has sparked a heated discussion of 3D sensing technology in 2017, and Apple will continue to develop 3D sensing. On the other hand, vendors of Android smartphones will also follow the trend, pushing up the demand for Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL), a key component for 3D sensing technology. Therefore, VCSEL manufacturers now race to lay the foundation in this segment. 

2018 just began but we already knew before that new technologies such as 3D sensing are going to be huge this year after the launch of Apple’s iPhone X last September. Using faces to unlock phones and personalize expressive Animojis are probably the two most memorable features that make 3D sensing widely known of among consumers. Surely, other phone makers will not let go of a chance to sport their products with similar capabilities, hence we learn the projection that the total value of the global market of mobile 3D Sensing is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 209% from USD 1.5 billion in 2017 to USD 14 billion by 2020.

VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) technology has been at the center stage in the tech world of late, in the wake of the debut of the new iPhone X, which contains a 3D sensing module with VCSELs as its core components. Their importance even made Apple fork over quite an amount of money to secure some of the VCSEL shipment from Finisar, a laser chip producer.

According to 2018 Infrared Sensing Application Market Report by LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, multiple applications will broaden business opportunities for the infrared industry. LEDinside targets on the ten major application markets, such as surveillance security, mobile biometric system (iris / facial / fingerprint), digital healthcare (pulse oximetry), gaming notebook, touch panel, NIR spectroscopy, AR / VR/ eye tracking, car sensor, LiDAR and drones, proximity sensor, etc., to analyze the market scale, opportunities and challenges, product specification and supply chain, and provides wide scope and comprehensive outlook of the infrared application market.

IQE plc announces its pre-close trading update for the full year ending 31 December 2017. The Group announces that it expects full year revenues to be ahead of market expectations, and to be not less than £150m for the year ending 31 December 2017. Wafer sales are on track to deliver strong double-digit growth in 2017 and to continue to diversify. The three primary markets are Photonics, InfraRed and Wireless.

IQE plc, the Welsh supplier of advanced wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry, announces that its wholly ownedsubsidiary, NanoGaN Limited, has secured the purchase and assignment of a portfolio of patents from Taiwan based Luxtaltek Corporation.

At CES 2018, TriLumina will demonstrate multiple use cases for its innovative 940 nm VCSEL illumination modules, including a novel solid-state 3D LiDAR system powered by its illumination modules, which will be showcased at the company's Suite at the Westgate Hotel as well as in the Leddar Ecosystem Pavilion.

Vektrex announced the successful completion of a 650,000 lumen test, conducted in the high-power Integrated Thermal Control System (ITCS) chamber. Total LED electrical drive power exceeded 10,000 Watts. While COB LED arrays were used for this test, other ITCS models support VCSELs and Laser Diodes.

According to 2018 Infrared Sensing Application Market Report by LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, many smartphone companies have been developing 3D sensing embedded devices since Apple launched iPhone X featuring 3D sensor. LEDinside anticipates that the value of global infrared laser projector market for mobile 3D sensing is estimated to reach US$246 million in 2017, and is forecast to grow to around US$1.953 billion in 2020.

Apple today announced the latest award from its $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund. Finisar, a manufacturer of optical communications components, will receive $390 million as part of Apple’s commitment to support innovation and job creation by American manufacturers.

Famed KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in his latest report that shipping estimates of the iPhone X have improved to 1-2 weeks in large part because of better-than-expected enhancements in the supply chain, rather than weak demand, reported MacRumors. The worldwide demand for the iPhone X remains strong.

Taiwanese LED chipmaker Epistar reported a decline in revenue in October due to the slow season and estimated 4Q17 sales less than that of 3Q17. However, Epistar’s outlook for 2018 is positive with the momentum from collaboration with display makers on Mini LED-lit displays.

Apple supplier Lumentum on Wednesday reported financial results for its fiscal 1Q18 ended September 30. Revenue from its 3D sensing business made a massive ramp in the company’s overall performance.

Philips Photonics, expert in VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers) technology solutions for data communications, consumer and industrial applications, announced the successful completion of its ‘VIDaP’ project (VCSEL Pilot Line for Illumination, Datacom and Power Applications), a €23 million project jointly sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the EU, and executed under the umbrella of the European ECSEL program.

AIXTRON SE, a worldwide provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, received a multiple MOCVD system order from IQE plc, the British supplier of advanced wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry. The AIX 2800G4-TM automated Planetary reactors® expected to be deployed for the growth of gallium arsenide-based (GaAs) epi-wafers on 6-inch substrates for the production of VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) for a range of photonic applications.

Taiwan-based LED chip giant Epistar’s revenue in August stood at NTD 2.332 billion (USD 77.59 million), with a rise of 3.7% MoM (5.3% YoY). It has hit a new high in the past 28 months. The company explained the fully-utilized capacity for blue LED manufacturing and the AlInGaP demand driver from the horticultural lighting market accounted for the growth, despite an overall slide of 0.3% YoY in the consolidated revenue of 2017 (accumulated until the end of August).

Apple’s development of 3D sensing highly interests the market. A list of companies joining Apple’s 3D sensing supply chain has been revealed in a recent report, which includes quite a number of Taiwanese firms, including TSMC, Largan Precision, Foxconn, Tong Hsing Electronic Industries, GSEO, Xintec, and VisEra.