Cost-effective FSI sensors achieve quantum efficiency of over 30%.
The industry's first ToF imager to pass Google Class 3 certification

Infineon Technologies (hereafter Infineon) introduces the industry's first ToF imager to pass Google Class 3 (Strong) certification.

Infineon announced on the 6th that it is launching the IRS2976C ToF (Time-of-Flight) VGA sensor in collaboration with pmdtechnologies, a 3D ToF specialist and premium partner.

Infineon has applied advanced pixel technology to achieve a quantum efficiency (quantum efficiency, the ratio of the number of converted electrons to the number of incident photons) of more than 30%, which was previously only achievable with back-side illumination (BSI) sensors.

It is also noteworthy that the performance was achieved at the cost level of an FSI (front-side illumination) sensor.

The IRS2976C imager supports a variety of long-range, low-power use cases, enabling measurement ranges exceeding 10 meters and operating seamlessly on mobile device displays.

Each pixel is equipped with pmdtechnologies' patented Suppression of Background Illumination technology.

This provides high dynamic range (HDR) and robust data even in bright sunlight.

Christian “By employing Infineon’s unique ToF CMOS process, the sensor achieves excellent sensitivity and robust operation in indoor and outdoor environments,” said Christian Herzum, Vice President and General Manager of Infineon’s 3D Sensing division. “The sensor is ideal for secure authentication in smartphones, payment terminals, smart door locks, as well as virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR) headsets, service robots and various IoT devices.”

The IRS2976C provides a system VGA resolution of 640 x 480 depth points.

The world's smallest form factor at 23mm² provides drop-in compatibility with existing IRS2877C imagers and an easy upgrade path.

The high level of feature integration reduces the bill of materials (BOM), minimizes the form factor, and simplifies design. Combining the new IRS2976C with Infineon's latest VCSEL driver IRS9102C enables the design of ultra-compact 3D camera systems at an optimized cost.