Apple Awards $410 Million to Face ID and LiDAR Scanner Supplier II-VI

Apple today announced it has awarded $410 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to Pennsylvania-based II-VI, a manufacturer of optical technology.

apple adv manufacturing fund ii vi hero 05052021 big
The funds will help create additional capacity and accelerate delivery of future iPhone components, supporting more than 700 jobs in Sherman, Texas; Warren, New Jersey; Easton, Pennsylvania; and Champaign, Illinois, according to Apple.

II-VI manufactures vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) that help power Face ID, along with lasers for the LiDAR Scanner:

II-VI manufactures vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) that help power Face ID, Memoji, Animoji, and Portrait mode selfies. Apple also works with II-VI to manufacture lasers used in the LiDAR Scanner — technology that helps deliver faster, more realistic augmented reality experiences and improves autofocus in low-light scenes in photos and videos.

"We established Apple's Advanced Manufacturing Fund to support American businesses creating next-generation technology and the jobs of tomorrow," said Apple COO Jeff Williams. "II-VI shares our commitment to push the boundaries of innovation and we're proud to be extending our work together across the country."

Apple's Advanced Manufacturing Fund already awarded $390 million to optical supplier Finisar in 2017, and that company has since been acquired by II-VI.

Top Rated Comments

DanTSX Avatar
38 months ago
Apple Investing in USA. Love it.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
totom_ Avatar
38 months ago
Maybe II-IV could use some of these funds to come up with a better name.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorpit Avatar
38 months ago

Maybe II-IV could use some of these funds to come up with a better name.
The name II-VI Incorporated is a reference to the groups II and VI in the periodic table ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Periodic_table'), since the company started its business by producing cadmium telluride ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Cadmium_telluride') consisting of cadmium ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Cadmium') which belongs to group II and tellurium ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Tellurium') which belongs to group VI.

Early on they alloyed ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Alloy') it with mercury ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Mercury_(element)') to make an infrared detector ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Infrared_detector') material (HgCdTe ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Mercury(II)_cadmium(II)_telluride')). CdTe alloyed with a small amount of zinc ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Zinc') makes an excellent solid-state X-ray ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/X-ray') and gamma ray ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Gamma_ray') detector (CdZnTe ('https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/Cadmium_zinc_telluride')).

The above was copied and pasted from Wiki, but I‘ve known of this company since the mid 90’s.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuruZac Avatar
38 months ago
Awesome news. Love to see the work done in the US.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robinp Avatar
38 months ago
This kind of hardware is going to be essential for a number of products:
- faceID on macs
- AR headset / glasses
- car

Of course they only mention iPhone, but lidar seems like it will be heading to many more Apple products beyond iPhone and iPad.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorpit Avatar
38 months ago
As a current owner of Apple and II-IV, I approve! ?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...