Polaris Works Supplies 3rd Generation ToF Sensor Packages to Major European Automakers

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] Polaris Works, a specialist company in image sensor CSP (Chip Scale Package) packaging, is expanding its entry into the vehicle sensor market, including autonomous vehicles, by mass-producing and supplying 3rd generation ToF (Time-of-flight) sensor packages to Belgian automotive semiconductor company Melexis.

On the 27th, Polaris Works announced that it will begin mass production and supply of 3rd generation ToF sensor packages to Melexis in Belgium starting this August. This product commercializes the NeoPAC® Encap technology, a proprietary high-reliability automotive image sensor CSP package patent developed in-house.

Image of Melexis 3rd generation ToF sensor.

The NeoPAC® Encap package from Polaris Works, equipped with Melexis's 3rd generation ToF sensor, is expected to be installed in global European automotive brands. It is an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) sensor package used for in-vehicle monitoring systems such as Driver Monitoring System (DMS) functions including driver drowsiness detection, eye recognition and forward gaze verification, head direction recognition, hand position and smartphone usage, beverage intake, as well as gesture recognition (HMI, Human Machine Interface).

Polaris Works began developing the 3rd generation ToF sensor package with Melexis in 2019. In 2020, it received AEC-Q100 certification for automotive component reliability evaluation standards for the NeoPAC® Encap package, and this year received a mass production order.

A Polaris Works official stated, “Through this supply, we have officially started mass production of the high-reliability automotive image sensor package NeoPAC® Encap. Although the automotive industry requires long reliability certification and development periods, since Melexis holds exclusive rights to supply automotive ToF sensors to major European automakers and has secured a stable mass production plan, the mass production supply of NeoPAC® Encap products is expected to accelerate further.”

Melexis's 3rd generation ToF sensor features a 1/4-inch optical format with QVGA (320x240 pixels) resolution and supports both 850 nanometer (nm) and 940 nm illumination. It offers more than twice the performance of previous generation ToF sensors in terms of sensitivity (quantum efficiency) and distance accuracy.

Since 2014, Polaris Works has supplied automotive image sensors and 1st and 2nd generation ToF sensors to Melexis using the NeoPAC® 1st generation package (NeoPAC® I type). To date, it has supplied 1.6 million image sensor packages and 1.4 million ToF sensor packages. These products are used in automotive rear cameras and in-vehicle gesture recognition, and are installed in well-known automotive brands such as BMW.

Meanwhile, Polaris Works is building an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management system with its largest shareholder Polaris Office and subsidiary Sewon, expanding synergies within the group. This year, it aims to enhance growth by targeting the vehicle sensor market including autonomous vehicles, supplying ultra-compact infrared temperature sensor packages, and entering the modular leasing business.