Apple, II-VI to Accelerate iPhone, Lidar Developments

Apple has awarded more than $400 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to optical components and semiconductor materials company II-VI. The funding builds on an initial $390 million that Apple awarded II-VI in 2017.

Apple said the expansion of its collaboration with II-VI will create additional capacity and accelerate delivery of future components for iPhones, with 700 news jobs across four states.

II-VI, which is in the process of acquiring laser manufacturer Coherent, manufacturers VCSELS that help power Face ID, Memoji, Animoji, and Portrait mode selfies. Apple, it said, also works with II-VI to manufacture lasers used in Lidar Scanner to deliver faster and more reliable AR experiences and improve autofocus in low-light scenes in photos and videos.