Technology, Process and Cost
iPhone 14 Pro Under-Display Proximity Sensor
By Yole SystemPlus —
A detailed physical and cost analysis of the InP-based SWIR under-display proximity sensor in the iPhone 14 Pro
SPR23721
Overview / Introduction
Executive Summary
- Reverse Costing Methodology
- dToF Proximity Sensing
- iPhone Front Sensing
- Glossary
Company Profile
Physical Analysis
- Summary of the Physical Analysis
- Smartphone Teardown
- Module & Optics
- Module Views & Teardown
- Module Cross Section
- Photodiode
- Overview
- Cross Section
- Process Summary
- Edge-Emitting Laser Die
- Overview
- Cross Section
- Process Summary
- Driver IC
- Overview
- Delayering
- Cross Section
- Process Summary
Physical Comparison (w/ iPhone 13 Proximity Sensor)
Manufacturing Process Flow
- Driver IC Fabrication Unit
- Driver IC Front-End and Back-End Processes
- Edge-Emitting Laser & Photodiode Fabrication Unit
- Edge-Emitting Laser Front-End & Back-End Processes
- Photodiode Front-End & Back-End Processes
- Package Assembly Processes
- Final Test & Dicing
Cost Analysis
- Main Steps of the Economic Analysis
- Yields Explanation and Hypotheses
- Driver IC
- Driver IC Circuit Front-End Costs
- Driver IC Back-End Costs
- Driver IC Die Costs
- Edge-Emitting Laser
- Edge-Emitting Laser Epitaxy Costs
- Edge-Emitting Laser Front-End Costs
- Edge-Emitting Laser Back-End Costs
- Edge-Emitting Laser Die Cost
- Photodiode
- Photodiode Epitaxy Costs
- Photodiode Front-End Costs
- Photodiode Back-End Costs
- Photodiode Die Cost
- Module Package Manufacturing
- Completed Module Cost and Breakdown
Cost Comparison (w/ iPhone 13 Proximity Sensor)
Selling Price
Feedback
Related Products
About Yole Group
- Analog Devices, Inc.
- Apple, Inc.
- STMicroelectronics
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
Key Features
- Detailed photos
- Cross-sectional analysis
- Delayering analysis
- Precise measurements
- Chemistry and materials determination from EDX
- Manufacturing process flows
- Supply chain evaluation
- Manufacturing cost analysis
- Estimated selling price
- Physical and cost comparison with the iPhone 13 proximity sensor
What's new
- An InP-based edge-emitting laser and photodiode operate in the SWIR range, allowing the proximity sensor module to be placed under the display
- The new module is much larger and costlier than the previous generation
Indium phosphide (InP)-based photonic devices operate in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) range, making them highly sought-after for high-speed and long-range applications in the telecom and datacom markets. While these applications make up the bulk of the $2.5B market for InP-based dies, an exciting application for SWIR is growing in the consumer space. Wavelengths in this range are transmissive through modern OLED smartphone displays, which opens the door to under-display sensing. Apple has taken advantage of this ability to reduce the notch size in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max by moving the proximity sensor under the display.
This full reverse costing study provides insights into the technology data, manufacturing cost, and selling price of the iPhone 14 Pro under-display proximity sensor, which uses InP-based SWIR emission and detection. A detailed physical analysis, including teardown, cross-sectional analysis, circuit delayering, and scanning electron microscopy is used to determine the component structures and estimate the manufacturing processes used to make the edge-emitting laser (EEL), photodiode, and driver chip, as well as those used to assemble the module. This information, combined with a supply chain analysis, allows us to calculate the costs of each production step and estimate the final selling price of the module to Apple.
We also include a physical and cost comparison with the previous-generation proximity sensor in the iPhone 13.
