Periodic Reporting for period 3 - VIZTA (VIZTA sounds for Vision, Identification, with Z-sensing Technologies and key Applications.)
Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2022-10-31
The VIZTA project aims to capitalize on and to further develop innovative technologies in the field of optical sensors and sources for short, medium and long-range 3D sensing and to demonstrate their value in 6 key applications.
The key differentiating technologies developed within VIZTA are:
• innovative Silicon single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) technology based on a dedicated 12-inch process and intended for direct Time-of-Flight optical sensors;
• pioneering lock-in pixel technology based on an advanced 12-inch CMOS process and intended for indirect Time-of-Flight optical sensors;
• ground-breaking and cost-effective 12-inch wafer level optics including the development of NIR bandpass thin-film filters, no angle-shift NIR bandpass filters, RGB+Z on-chip filtering.
• complex RGB+Z pixel architectures for multimodal 2D/3D imaging.
• New Hybrid Bonding (wafer stacking) solutions and inspection techniques
For short-range depth map applications, multi-channel VCSEL sources, including wafer-level GaAs optics and associated high-speed driver, will be developed and validated within this project.
For medium and long range automotive LiDARs, VIZTA supports the development of:
• high performance laser sources for medium and long range,
• full solid-state laser beam steering with optical-phased-array for medium range, MEMS micromirrors for long range,
• cost-effective InGaAs photodiodes for long range LiDAR detector.
The developed differentiating technologies serve as a basis for the design of innovative 3D imaging sensors products with the following porotypes demonstrators:
• high resolution Time-of-Flight ranging sensor module with integrated VCSEL, drivers, filters and optics;
• very High resolution (VGA+) depth camera sensor with integrated filters and optics.
The following markets will be directly addressed during VIZTA through 6 applications demonstrators:
• automotive in-cabin with two leading end-users, IEE that benefit from DFKI skills in artificial intelligence, Ficomirrors that will focus on driver monitoring,
• smart building, also targeted by IEE,
• security, with Idemia OEM collaborating with CEA-List that will bring its expertise in neural networks,
• automotive medium-range LiDAR, led by Ibeo with a strong partnership with ST, III-V Lab and CEA-Leti,
• automotive long-range LiDAR, pursued by Veoneer with the support of component integrators (Lumibird, Keopsys Industries and Beamagine) and Polytechnic University of Catalonia,
• industry 4.0 with a demonstrator developed in collaboration between two SMEs, Integrated Systems Development and BCB Informatica, with the support of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science in Latvia,
• mobile robotics for smart cities, with Eurecat Technology Centre that bring its expertise in robotics.
The key differentiating technologies developed within VIZTA are:
• innovative Silicon single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) technology based on a dedicated 12-inch process and intended for direct Time-of-Flight optical sensors;
• pioneering lock-in pixel technology based on an advanced 12-inch CMOS process and intended for indirect Time-of-Flight optical sensors;
• ground-breaking and cost-effective 12-inch wafer level optics including the development of NIR bandpass thin-film filters, no angle-shift NIR bandpass filters, RGB+Z on-chip filtering.
• complex RGB+Z pixel architectures for multimodal 2D/3D imaging.
• New Hybrid Bonding (wafer stacking) solutions and inspection techniques
For short-range depth map applications, multi-channel VCSEL sources, including wafer-level GaAs optics and associated high-speed driver, will be developed and validated within this project.
For medium and long range automotive LiDARs, VIZTA supports the development of:
• high performance laser sources for medium and long range,
• full solid-state laser beam steering with optical-phased-array for medium range, MEMS micromirrors for long range,
• cost-effective InGaAs photodiodes for long range LiDAR detector.
The developed differentiating technologies serve as a basis for the design of innovative 3D imaging sensors products with the following porotypes demonstrators:
• high resolution Time-of-Flight ranging sensor module with integrated VCSEL, drivers, filters and optics;
• very High resolution (VGA+) depth camera sensor with integrated filters and optics.
The following markets will be directly addressed during VIZTA through 6 applications demonstrators:
• automotive in-cabin with two leading end-users, IEE that benefit from DFKI skills in artificial intelligence, Ficomirrors that will focus on driver monitoring,
• smart building, also targeted by IEE,
• security, with Idemia OEM collaborating with CEA-List that will bring its expertise in neural networks,
• automotive medium-range LiDAR, led by Ibeo with a strong partnership with ST, III-V Lab and CEA-Leti,
• automotive long-range LiDAR, pursued by Veoneer with the support of component integrators (Lumibird, Keopsys Industries and Beamagine) and Polytechnic University of Catalonia,
• industry 4.0 with a demonstrator developed in collaboration between two SMEs, Integrated Systems Development and BCB Informatica, with the support of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science in Latvia,
• mobile robotics for smart cities, with Eurecat Technology Centre that bring its expertise in robotics.
A detailed overview of results is available on VIZTA website www.vizta-ecsel.eu.
Most noticeable progress compared to State of the Art (SoA) is the confirmation of S2 technology intrinsic performances (WP2) with its publication at ESSCIRC 2021 conference by ST: Cédric Tubert et al., 0.54Mpix 3D-Stacked Indirect Time-of-Flight CMOS Image Sensor with 4.6um Pixel Achieving 88.5% Demodulation Contrast and less than 1.4uW/pixel at 200MHz, ESSDERC/ESSIRC 2021, Grenoble Sept. 2021. This was followed in early 2022 by the announcement of commercial introduction of VD55H1 as product version of the VIZTA S2 sensor by ST.
Such industrialisation was largely enabled by VIZTA project and collaborations and is a great example of technology push approach toward larger market applications
One can underline also some other commercial outcomes from VIZTA during this last period:
*VCSEL lasers ViBO from [TRUMPF],
*Laser diode illumination module from [QUANTEL],
*Fiber laser illumination module from [KEOPSYS],
At a lower maturity level, but rich of business potentialities, on can cite some remarkable achievements at several levels versus state of art:
*Micro-mirrors process solutions for high power laser sources by [CEA Leti], [BEAMAGINE]
*Automotive in-cabin monitoring solutions [IEE/DFKI], [IDNEO]
*Secure Access control with 3D analysis [IDEMIA]
*Robotics inspection solutions [EURECAT]
Most noticeable progress compared to State of the Art (SoA) is the confirmation of S2 technology intrinsic performances (WP2) with its publication at ESSCIRC 2021 conference by ST: Cédric Tubert et al., 0.54Mpix 3D-Stacked Indirect Time-of-Flight CMOS Image Sensor with 4.6um Pixel Achieving 88.5% Demodulation Contrast and less than 1.4uW/pixel at 200MHz, ESSDERC/ESSIRC 2021, Grenoble Sept. 2021. This was followed in early 2022 by the announcement of commercial introduction of VD55H1 as product version of the VIZTA S2 sensor by ST.
Such industrialisation was largely enabled by VIZTA project and collaborations and is a great example of technology push approach toward larger market applications
One can underline also some other commercial outcomes from VIZTA during this last period:
*VCSEL lasers ViBO from [TRUMPF],
*Laser diode illumination module from [QUANTEL],
*Fiber laser illumination module from [KEOPSYS],
At a lower maturity level, but rich of business potentialities, on can cite some remarkable achievements at several levels versus state of art:
*Micro-mirrors process solutions for high power laser sources by [CEA Leti], [BEAMAGINE]
*Automotive in-cabin monitoring solutions [IEE/DFKI], [IDNEO]
*Secure Access control with 3D analysis [IDEMIA]
*Robotics inspection solutions [EURECAT]
Given the status of the VIZTA partners contributions and achievements within the whole project, the main global impact foreseen by this project is still in accordance with the information given in the DoA, reminded below.
Load of 12-inch wafer line at [ST SAS C2], thus creating and maintaining employments:
* Outcomes of WP2 and WP3 will significantly contribute to ST SAS C2 12-inch future load as the pixel test-chips are fully in line with targeted performance.
* Hybrid-Bonding (wafer to wafer) solutions are confirmed and applied to S2 providing a substantial advantage over competition (die -size & cost) -> S2 prototypes versions were the main test-vehicles for process optimisation in 2021 allowing ramp-up of commercial product VD55H1 “the world's first 0.5Mpix 3D Time-of-Flight sensor” in volume production at [ST SAS C2] in 2022.
Enlarging VCSEL competitive production of [TRUMPF]: Prototype of VCSEL Array achieved in WP2 with identification and validation of improvements tools is a key asset to prepare future high-volume production in Ulm for various sensors needs. Increasing investments and manufacturing capabilities were applied at [TRUMPF] to anticipate this growing market and allow to introduce the Vibo VCSEL family with embedded optics.
Pushing 3D sensing technology for fast growing markets strategic for European industry:
* Outcomes of WP3 Application System demonstrators in Security, Automotive, smart building and Industry 4.0 will significantly contribute to 3D-sensin technology exploitation in such key markets for Europe
* VIZTA permitted to accelerate the exploitation of WP3 results for non-mobile applications where Europe is a key player.
Anticipating future LIDAR solutions for ADAS:
* Outcomes of WP4 Medium Range LIDAR and Long-Range LIDAR at several levels with high-quality high-power laser sources at 905nm and 1500nm and cost-effective optical sensors solutions will open the way for many derivative intermediate products/components not only for automotive segment.
* Innovative beam steering solutions (OPA and u-mirrors) showed promising perspectives
* The WP4 impacts at complete LIDAR system level will occur possibly after the end of the project, but the demonstrators' results are expected to anticipate/guide the future products options giving confidence in associated R&D and industrialisation complementary efforts.
Load of 12-inch wafer line at [ST SAS C2], thus creating and maintaining employments:
* Outcomes of WP2 and WP3 will significantly contribute to ST SAS C2 12-inch future load as the pixel test-chips are fully in line with targeted performance.
* Hybrid-Bonding (wafer to wafer) solutions are confirmed and applied to S2 providing a substantial advantage over competition (die -size & cost) -> S2 prototypes versions were the main test-vehicles for process optimisation in 2021 allowing ramp-up of commercial product VD55H1 “the world's first 0.5Mpix 3D Time-of-Flight sensor” in volume production at [ST SAS C2] in 2022.
Enlarging VCSEL competitive production of [TRUMPF]: Prototype of VCSEL Array achieved in WP2 with identification and validation of improvements tools is a key asset to prepare future high-volume production in Ulm for various sensors needs. Increasing investments and manufacturing capabilities were applied at [TRUMPF] to anticipate this growing market and allow to introduce the Vibo VCSEL family with embedded optics.
Pushing 3D sensing technology for fast growing markets strategic for European industry:
* Outcomes of WP3 Application System demonstrators in Security, Automotive, smart building and Industry 4.0 will significantly contribute to 3D-sensin technology exploitation in such key markets for Europe
* VIZTA permitted to accelerate the exploitation of WP3 results for non-mobile applications where Europe is a key player.
Anticipating future LIDAR solutions for ADAS:
* Outcomes of WP4 Medium Range LIDAR and Long-Range LIDAR at several levels with high-quality high-power laser sources at 905nm and 1500nm and cost-effective optical sensors solutions will open the way for many derivative intermediate products/components not only for automotive segment.
* Innovative beam steering solutions (OPA and u-mirrors) showed promising perspectives
* The WP4 impacts at complete LIDAR system level will occur possibly after the end of the project, but the demonstrators' results are expected to anticipate/guide the future products options giving confidence in associated R&D and industrialisation complementary efforts.