IMAGING Infrared

Deep analysis of the Sony’s 3D ToF Sensor and the VCSEL in the Oppo RX17 Pro.

Following its first introduction of a 3D structured light camera on the front of the Find X, last year, Oppo is now pioneering the use of 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) in its Rx17 Pro. Lenovo did a similar integration on the rear of one of its products a few years ago, integrating a pmd/Infineon solution in a high-end phone. In doing this, Asus and Lenovo added an additional Near Infra-Red (NIR) Global Shutter (GS) camera, but Oppo doesn’t have such a dedicated NIR GS Camera. Instead, Oppo uses the latest generation of ToF camera technology from Sony Depthsensing Solutions, formerly known as SoftKinetic.

The rear optical hub is packaged in one metal enclosure and features several cameras and a flood illuminator. The complete system features a telephoto and  wide-angle camera module and a 3D ToF camera. The distinguishing characteristic of the 3D depth sensing camera is the addition of a NIR flood illuminator.

This report focuses its analysis on the 3D depth sensing system. All components are standard and can be found on the market. That includes a BackSide Illumination (BSI) ToF image sensor featuring 10 µm x 10 µm size pixels and resolution of 46 kilopixel, developed by Sony Depthsensing Solutions. It also has one vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) for the flood illuminator, coming from a major supplier. This is the first ToF imager found on the market featuring BSI technology, which is commonly used by Sony, coupled with Current Assisted Photonic Demo-dulation (CPAD) developed by Sony Depthsensing Solutions.

Along with the complete 3D depth sensing system, this report analyses the system’s cost and estimates its price. It also includes a physical and technical comparison with another 3D sensing system from Lenovo in the Phab2Pro, using the first generation pmd/Infineon ToF Imager. The comparison looks at system integration, the NIR camera module and the flood illuminator architecture.

 

Overview/Introduction

Sony Company Profile

Oppo RX17 Pro – Teardown and Market Analysis

Physical Analysis

• Physical Analysis Methodology
• 3D Sensing System Disassembly and Cross-Section
• NIR Camera ToF Sensor
  • View, dimensions, and cross-section
• NIR Camera ToF Sensor Die
  • View, dimensions, pixels, delayering and main block IDs
  • Process and cross-section
• Flood Illuminator Module Disassembly and Cross-Section
• NIR VCSEL Dies
  • View, and dimensions
  • Dies process and cross-section
• Physical Data Summary

Physical Comparison: Lenovo Phab2Pro

• System Integration
• NIR Camera Module and ToF Sensor
• Flood Illuminator and VCSEL

Manufacturing Process

• Die Fabrication Unit : NIR Image Sensor, NIR VCSEL,
• NIR Image Sensor and VCSEL Process Flow

Cost Analysis

• Cost Analysis Overview
• Supply Chain Description and Yield Hypotheses
• NIR Image Camera Module Cost
  • Front-end (FE), microlens, BSI and total FE cost
  • Wafer and die cost
  • Lens module and assembly cost
• NIR Flood Illuminator Cost
  • Front-End (FE) cost
  • FE cost per process step
  • Wafer and die cost
  • Assembly cost

Estimated Price Analysis: NIR Camera Module, Flood Illuminator Module, and Optical Hub

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• Panasonic’s 3D Time-of-Flight Depth Sensing Camera Module
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• Valeo SCALA Laser Scanner
• Mobile Camera Module Comparison 2019
• Mantis Vision’s 3D Depth Sensing System in the Xiaomi Mi8 Explorer Edition
• Wafer to Wafer Permanent Bonding Comparison 2018
• Apple vs. Samsung: Ambient Light and Proximity Sensing Devices Comparison