According to media reports, British startup Phlux is seeking funding to enter the automotive LiDAR market with new sensors. Phlux's Aura 1550 nm avalanche photodiode (APD) was launched in January 2024, with sensitivity 12 times higher than other leading InGaAs APDs. This means that the working range of IR-based systems can immediately expand by up to 50%, providing accuracy and environmental stability as alternatives.
Phlux CEO Ben White stated, "For us, this is about scaling. Our sales target is small-batch, high-value applications, and we plan to expand sales in the automotive market to millions of units. We have laid the groundwork in the semiconductor supply chain and many III-V infrared sensor foundries, most of which are located in Europe and the United States. We believe that 1550nm time-of-flight (ToF) will exceed long-range LiDAR, which is where APD's sensitivity advantage comes into play in ADAS L3 rather than fully autonomous driving (AD)."
The new design reduces the power of laser diodes that generate infrared pulses and simplifies system optical and thermal management arrangements, thereby reducing product size and costs.
Adding antimony alloys in compound semiconductor manufacturing processes improves the performance of noiseless InGaAs APDs. This not only increases the diode's sensitivity but also greatly enhances their thermal stability, making them more environmentally friendly.
Ben White commented, "There is indeed interest in flash LiDAR, but there is still a long way to go before large-scale deployment. Flash is a future option but requires sensor arrays and ASIC control. In the coming years, we hope to expand single-point technology for grating scanning, reducing costs, and allowing more funds for flash development in the future."
The company plans to obtain AECQ 101 certification next year and is working on ISO9001 process stability certification to demonstrate differences between batches. Ben White mentioned that this requires statistical analysis of materials throughout the supply chain.
Ben White said, "We hope to secure Series A funding soon, aiming for €5 million to €10 million in Europe. The key is that we expect to generate significant revenue by then."
