Exerpt taken from:

IR LEDS and Lasers - Technology, Applications and Industry Trends
Apr.2017

VCSEL TECHNOLOGY WILL BE AT THE HEART OF THE INDUSTRY IN COMING YEARS

For a few years there has been an increasing interest in photonic devices, sensors and modules including systems with IR illumination in a wide range of applications such as consumer, automotive and medical. However, photonics is radically different from electronics when it comes to packaging and integration, and has its own challenges.

Today, there is no “structured” photonic supply chain or industry, and different strategies are starting to emerge to catch the maximum value of this high potential market. Should there be smarter devices? Smaller devices? This will soon be a multi-billion dollar industry. And, depending on current positioning and attraction toward this emerging market, each player may have different strategies to capitalise on it. For example, ams, through the acquisition of Heptagon and Princeton Optronics, is now fully vertically integrated. Recent rumors that STMicroelectronics’s single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) imager is likely to be linked to the iPhone 8 highlights that the company is enforcing its position of heterogeneous integrator as no clear standard approach or technology has emerged yet. Some players like the optics supplier Largan are betting on specialization.

Who will develop the right strategy? It’s too early to know. However, what is sure is that the industry is evolving. And those who don’t adapt accordingly might not be around to enjoy its lucrative-looking future.

Full Overview can be read here: https://www.i-micronews.com/led-report/product/ir-leds-and-lasers-technology-applications-and-industry-trends.html