Dongwoon Anatech, a South Korean fabless company, is preparing to spur the development of a next-generation sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilization) driver chip and ToF (time of flight) sensor IC (integrated circuit). In case of the ToF sensor, it plans to develop chips that can be used for mobile devices and cars as well.
According to the industry on Tuesday, the company plans to develop high-performance sensor-shift 5-axis control OIS driver chip, linear zoom driver chip, and ToF sensor technology through the South Korean government’s ‘K-Fabless Promotion Technology Development’ project. The government will provide $4.8 million (5.4 billion KRW) for the next three years so that the company can commercialize these technologies.
Through this project, the company will attempt to make a ‘quantum jump’ on its technical skills in OIS which has been its specialty. It has begun the development of sensor-shift OIS driver chip that maximizes accuracy and resolution. Sensor-shift is a technology that eliminates camera shake as a smartphone moves its image sensor in various directions rather its camera lenses. Although the technology has been utilized mainly by professional photographers, the technology has also been used for smartphones as well ever since Apple applied the technology to the rear cameras of the ‘iPhone 12 Pro Max’ last year.
The new OIS driver chip that Dongwoon Anatech is working on is an IC that will support image sensors to perform their sensor-shift function accordingly. There is yet to be any company that has commercialized sensor-shift OIS technology in South Korea. It is likely that Dongwoon Anatech has begun working on the technology as it believes that the technology will have a significant impact in the mobile device market in the future as Apple started to use the technology for iPhone.
Park Jin, who is the director at Dongwoon Anatech, said that the company’s goal is to develop an OIS chip that corresponds to the recent trend of sensor-shift technology by enhancing the chip’s resolution, accuracy, and operation ability and that the company will target global smartphone manufacturers that are looking to apply the technology to their products.
The company sees ToF sensor technology as one of its future businesses. ToF technology recognizes an object by measuring the time it takes for light to reach back to a sensor after it is shot at the object. It is a next-generation object recognition technology that has recently been started to be used for autonomous driving technology as well in addition to smartphones.
Dongwoon Anatech has already commercialized VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) driver IC that represents ToF sensor technology. The chip plays a role of transmitter that shoots light at a subject.
Through the project, the company plans to secure a sensor technology that receives light that is reflected back from a subject and establish a solid portfolio of ToF sensors.
The company is drawing attention from related industries as it is working on ToF sensors for mobile devices as well as autonomous vehicles. It has decided to develop automotive ToF sensors along with a South Korean startup called Solidvue that develops LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors for cars. Solidvue will evaluate and verify ToF sensors developed by Dongwoon Anatech.
Sony currently dominates the markets for ToF sensor and VCSEL driver IC. However, Dongwoon Anatech plans to challenge Sony’s stronghold and contribute to localization of semiconductor technologies by commercializing ToF technology.
In addition, the company will also develop a zoom controller that can support 5x optical zoom or greater of smartphones.
A representative from Dongwoon Anatech said that the company’s next-generation products have been recognized for their technologies and potential growth by being selected for the South Korean government’s project and that the company will spur development of high-end chip technologies by having ToF and OIS sensors as two important businesses of the company moving forward.
Staff Reporter Kang, Hyeryung | kang@etnews.com