Leading the revolution of mobile phone optics with WLG technology
If plastic lenses are the key to SZRS technology catching up with the old optical companies quickly, glass-plastic hybrid precision lenses are what allow SZRS to lead the future revolution of mobile phone optical lenses with WLG wafer-level glass technology.
At present, although the traditional plastic lens is still the first choice in the market, the ceiling of performance has already appeared. Generally speaking, the greater the number of plastic lenses in a plastic lens, the better the effects of light filtering, imaging, and color reproduction. Therefore, the number of plastic lens lenses has gradually increased from 5P to 6P, 7P, and even 8P. However, the increase in the number of lenses makes the design of the lens more difficult, reduces the yield, and makes the plastic lens narrower and narrower on the road to upgrade.
At the same time, in the face of users' increasingly higher imaging pursuits, plastic lenses have become increasingly prominent in issues such as light transmittance, refractive index, and imaging clarity. They cannot support 64MP and ultra-high pixels of more than 100 million. "Artifacts" often appear, that is, "the quality of the edge is degraded" and "glare, ghosts", etc., and the convex thickness of the lens is getting thicker and thicker.
In contrast, glass lenses are lighter and thinner, have better light transmission, higher refractive index, and stronger stability, which can greatly reduce the frequency of "artifacts". However, under the limitations of current process technology and yield rate, glass lenses cannot be widely used, but can only be used to "curve to save the country" with the "glass-plastic hybrid lens" program using glass lenses + plastic lenses. In fact, the effect of 1G glass lens can already bring a qualitative improvement to the user's photographing experience.
From the perspective of the entire industry, currently the manufacturers of glass lens technology in the world mainly include Taiwan TWDL, SY optics, HOYA, LC optics and SZRS. SZRS technology is the only company in the world that has mastered the technology of mass production of wafer-level glass lenses (WLG), and its production efficiency is dozens of times that of traditional technology. In addition, in terms of lens structure, glass lenses produced by traditional technology are limited by molds and can only produce fixed shapes, while glass lenses produced by WLG technology are not limited in shape, and can produce a variety of special-shaped lenses with higher matching and precision. With the above advantages, SZRS technology may become the biggest beneficiary of the glass-plastic hybrid lens tuyere.
According to SZRS technology, wafer-level WLG products have completed the development certification of 48M, 64M, 108M and Peripheral G+P, and production preparations are actively underway. It is planned to output 30 million wafer-level glass lenses in 2020. The future Mass production applications will be accelerated under the gradual recognition of this technology by customers.
Development of "Next Generation" Optical Transmission Technology
As the number of mobile phone lenses and lenses continues to increase, the requirements for optical transmission capabilities are becoming higher and higher. VCM voice coil motor is the internal driving device of the mobile phone lens. It has the advantages of high sensitivity, small size, light weight and good force. It can realize the mobile phone auto focus, zoom, and anti-shake functions.
The quality of the optical transmission system directly determines the imaging quality of mobile phones. AAC has accumulated more than ten years of experience in this field. It has highly customized R&D, production platforms and automation equipment, and has strong assembly process capabilities. The self-developed supporting algorithms have greater advantages in integration and product performance.
In addition, SZRS Technology has developed SMA memory alloy optical transmission technology, which has a simpler structure, higher signal processing accuracy and stronger reliability than traditional technologies. It is expected to replace VCM voice coil motors and become the future development trend of optical transmission.
Speed up module production capacity, build optical revenue target of 100 billion
In addition to mobile phone lenses, SZRS technology camera module production capacity construction work is also in progress. Super wide-angle, macro, main camera and other camera modules have been introduced to customers, mass production began at the end of May, of which 48M modules are expected to Quarterly mass production.
The camera module is composed of several lenses, VCM voice coil motor, spacer ring, image sensor, etc. In the entire optical industry chain, the image sensor has the largest value volume, followed by the lens. As of 2019, AAC has completed the investment layout of the camera module project. The AAC technology camera module project with a total investment of US$600 million has laid the foundation in the Changzhou High-tech Zone Comprehensive Bonded Zone. At the same time, AAC Technology and Nanning Economic Development Zone signed an agreement to invest 5 billion yuan in the construction of a new camera module industry project in Nanning; signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the Shenzhen Pingshan District Government, intending to invest 7 billion yuan to build high-end in Pingshan R&D and manufacturing project of precision optical camera module.
Entering the module industry is highly related to the integration ability of AAC's vertical integration. From upstream raw materials and parts manufacturing to the production and assembly of downstream products, most of AAC's optical products can be completed in-house, including optical molds, lenses, transmission systems, sensors and related chips, software algorithms, etc., with a full set of optical industry chain height The advantages of automation and vertical integration can quickly adapt to changing customer needs and have huge cost advantages.
According to AAC, in the future, the group will further realize the self-manufacturing of all components except CMOS, establish a higher vertical integration capability, cover all high-end models of customers, further enhance the added value of the optical business, and continue to expand the company in the optical field To achieve the goal of 100 billion in the medium and long term.