Unveiling SPAD Array Product Line with Latest LiDAR Technology
Delivers Comprehensive Performance including Single Photon Sensitivity and Photon Detection Efficiency
Enables In-Vehicle Monitoring Solutions for Human Body and Facial Analysis

ON Semiconductor will showcase vehicle solutions incorporating the latest LiDAR technology at CES 2020, the world's largest consumer electronics exhibition, running from January 7-10 in Las Vegas, USA.

As a sensor provider for LiDAR applications, ON Semiconductor will demonstrate for the first time in the industry its SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Diode) array product line, designed for long-, mid-, and short-range LiDAR applications and featuring high resolution and wide field of view (FoV).

SPAD arrays are low-light photon detectors that simultaneously generate monochrome images and depth maps of a scene, making them ideal solutions for Time-of-Flight (ToF) applications. Previous generations of SPAD array technology in lower-density versions were used in consumer applications but had limitations—they did not operate beyond 2 meters and were difficult to use reliably in bright lighting conditions.

The latest devices being unveiled will provide superior flexibility compared to previous generations and can be used with various scene illumination architectures for ToF, including staning and flash modes.

SiPM (Silicon Photomultiplier) devices manufactured using ON Semiconductor's SPAD technology demonstrate high single photon sensitivity, photon detection efficiency (PDE), and manufacturing uniformity compared to conventional detectors such as avalanche photodiodes (APD), and are widely used throughout the LiDAR industry.

At CES 2020, various demonstrations will showcase the maturity of automotive imaging technology. These include demonstrations of global and rolling shutter performance using HDR in various conditions, including an 8.3MP ADAS automotive image sensor operating in RGB and NIR+ modes in low-light and foggy environments, and a 12MP machine vision image sensor for robotic taxis.

Additionally, MIMO+, a multi-mode radar function for ADAS that enables both short- and long-range performance with a single sensor, will be demonstrated. This will feature ON Semiconductor's high-performance radar mmIC technology, which displays range, velocity, and angle of detected targets such as people and objects.

In line with the growing trend of in-vehicle monitoring emerging as an important safety application, ON Semiconductor will also present an in-vehicle monitoring solution using a 2.3MP RGB-IR sensor that generates color images during the day and monochrome images using NIR illumination at night. Accompanying demonstrations will include human body and facial analysis tracking, including emotion recognition.

Wade Appleman, Vice President of the SensL Business Unit in ON Semiconductor's Intelligent Sensing Group, stated, "SiPM is rapidly replacing APD in solid-state LiDAR systems operating in the near-infrared spectrum. The photon detection efficiency (PDE) of our latest AEC-Q101 certified R-series detectors to be showcased at the exhibition reaches 15%, the industry's highest level, which is a critical performance metric for long-range LiDAR applications."