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This section provides an overview for photo ic as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 7 photo ic manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked photo ic companies as of December, 2024: 1.Capella Microsystems, 2.EVERLIGHT Electronics Co., Ltd., 3.iC-Haus GmbH.
Table of Contents
Photo IC is a device that incorporates a light-receiving element that receives light and an IC that processes the signals in a single package and is a component with functions that meet the needs of the application.
Photo ICs are classified into monosilic and hybrid types according to their structure. The monosilic type, in which the light-receiving element and the signal-processing circuit are formed on the same chip, does not require wiring between the light-receiving element and the signal-processing and is highly resistant to noise.
The hybrid type consists of a light-receiving element and a signal-processing circuit on independent chips, and they are contained in a single package. Since each chip is connected by wires, the advantage is that the shape of the photosensitive element and spectral response characteristics can be optimized according to the application.
Photo ICs are used to detect light, and a wide variety of devices exist for different purposes. The main applications of photo ICs are as follows:
A photo IC consists of a photodiode, phototransistor, or PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) that receives light and generates a current, a circuit that amplifies the output current, and a signal processing circuit that uses the amplified output to process signals. The light-receiving circuit is used to amplify the output current and process the amplified output signal. A wide variety of products combining various photosensors and processing circuits are available depending on the intended use.
There are also photo ICs whose output can be obtained in frequency, although they are special devices. These consist of a photo IC and a current-to-frequency conversion circuit and feature a wide dynamic range.
Photodetectors have different spectral response characteristics depending on the device, but none of them match human visual sensitivity characteristics. The commonly used silicon photodiode has a peak sensitivity in the range of 900 nm to 1,000 nm, but the human visual sensitivity characteristic is in the range of 400 nm to 700 nm, and the peak sensitivity is around 550 nm, so the brightness signal detected by the photodiode and the brightness perceived by humans The brightness signal detected by a photodiode is different from the brightness perceived by humans.
Therefore, for applications that need to match human sensitivity, such as illuminance meters, it is necessary to correct the spectral response characteristics of photodiodes through a visual sensitivity correction filter.
Photo ICs are available with a variety of functions and features. The main types are as follows:
Photo ICs are used to measure the distance to an object, and PSDs and photosensor arrays are used as light-receiving elements. Combined with a light emitter such as a near-infrared LED, the distance to an object is calculated based on the position of the spotlight projected from the light emitter that is reflected by the object and reaches the photosensor, using the principle of triangular ranging.
This photo IC analyzes the color of incident light by comparing the output of three photo sensors, each of which has an optical filter on its surface that allows only red (R) light to pass through, blue (B) light to pass through, and green (G) light to pass through. The output of each sensor breaks down the incident light into its RGB components, and the main application is in measuring instruments such as color illuminance meters.
These sensors are used to measure the brightness of illumination light, etc. They are photo ICs equipped with light-receiving elements that approximate human spectral response characteristics by using visual sensitivity compensation filters, etc. The main applications are illuminance meters and photographic equipment. It is mainly used in illuminance meters and exposure meters for photographic equipment.
This is a device for receiving optical communications using optical fiber. Installed on the end face of an optical fiber, it receives transmitted optical signals and converts them into electrical signals. There are devices with a convex lens in front of the photosensor to improve light collection characteristics.
A photo IC is used to configure a photoelectric switch in combination with a light-emitting device such as an LED. Photo interrupters and photoreceivers of photo reflectors are also included in this category.
Generally, this photo IC has a 4-channel photodiode array. It is configured to detect the direction and amount of rotation and provides 2-phase digital outputs according to the state of light input to the photodiode array. Combined with a light-emitting element, a photointerrupter with an encoder function can be easily configured.
This is a receiver IC for remote control using infrared rays and is used in remote control systems widely employed in TVs, recording devices, air conditioners, etc. It is characterized by being covered with resin having visible light cutoff characteristics and having a steep bandpass filter corresponding to the blinking frequency of the transmitter (30kHz to 40kHz). It receives the transmitter's command signal and outputs it to the processing circuitry of the device itself.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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EMCORE, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Alhambra, California, is a manufacturer specializing in inertial navigation products. Their product line includes fiber optic, ring laser gyro, and MEMS technologies, which are utilized in various navigation applications. These products serve as crucial components in the development of inertial navigation systems, enhancing accuracy and performance. Their navigation and sensing solutions find application across diverse industries, including commercial, industrial, multi-modal, and space sectors. EMCORE maintains ISO 9001 quality management certification, while their facilities in Budd Lake and Concord are AS9100 aerospace quality certified.
EVERLIGHT, established in 1983 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, is a manufacturer and supplier of LED products for diverse industries. The company offers LED lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor illumination, including bulbs, tubes, downlights, and streetlights. Additionally, the company provides LED backlighting for LCD displays used in TVs, monitors, laptops, and tablets. Its product portfolio extends to displays for information and images, mobile enhancements such as flash LEDs and camera modules, and automotive lighting for improved safety and performance. These solutions find application across sectors including home appliances, communication, and consumer electronics in the development of various systems and machines.
Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., established in 1953 and headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a manufacturer of sensors and emitters for both visible and invisible light. It stocks products like LEDs, lamps, and photodiodes used in several industries, including consumer electronics, dental imaging, and environmental monitoring. The sensor and light source components are also available as modules and units that can be incorporated into systems the company develops, like optical measurement systems or imaging systems. The ISO 9001-certified company stocks over 15,000 devices, units, and systems that ship to over 100 destinations worldwide, and it has ten research and production bases.
iC-Haus GmbH, established in 1984, is a German-based manufacturer of standard and customized integrated circuits (ICs), microsystems and system-on-chip solutions used in automotive, medical and industrial applications. The company’s integrated circuit product segment consists of I/O iCs, power management iCs, sensor iCs, safety light curtain iCs, and encoder iCs. They also offer laser diode and LED drivers used in industrial sensors, laser leveling, laser printers, laser pointers, and barcode scanners. iC-Haus has a Linear Functions iCs product line which is composed of ultra-fast comparators, four-quadrant multipliers, and OPAMPs used in demodulators, signal conditioners, measurement amplifiers, and voltage-controlled amplifiers.
Capella Microsystems, located in New Taipei, Taiwan, is a manufacturer of optical electronic products, founded in 2002. Their product line includes smart sensors used for light, color, proximity, and gesture sensing. They also provide IrDA devices for wireless communication, optical encoders for precise position and velocity measurement, and PDICs specifically designed for photodiode array applications. Capella Microsystems' products have wide-ranging applications, serving industries such as consumer electronics, industrial automation, robotics, and medical devices.
Kodenshi Corp. is an ISO 14001 and IATF 16949-certified manufacturer of optical devices that was established in 1972 in Kyoto, Japan. The company’s product lineup includes photointerrupters for sensing motion or positioning, photodiodes for converting light into electrical currents, and phototransistors for amplifying currents generated by photodiodes. It also offers encoders for converting motion into digital signals, and photo couplers for noise reduction or signal isolation. The company’s products are commonly used within the private security and transportation sectors, and have additional applications in the automotive industry.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capella Microsystems |
26.7%
|
| 2 | EVERLIGHT Electronics Co., Ltd. |
20.0%
|
| 3 | iC-Haus GmbH |
20.0%
|
| 4 | Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. |
13.3%
|
| 5 | PHIX Photonics Assembly |
6.7%
|
| 6 | EMCORE |
6.7%
|
| 7 | KODENSHI CORP. |
6.7%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the photo ic page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States of America
|
1 | 25.0% |
|
Taiwan
|
1 | 25.0% |
|
Japan
|
1 | 25.0% |
|
Germany
|
1 | 25.0% |
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