MEMS-based optics solutions

Wavelens, founded in 2012 by three CEA engineers, develops optics solutions designed to enhance smartphone-camera image quality.

Technology

The smartphone-camera market is booming, and consumers are becoming increasingly savvy, demanding advanced optical features like autofocus. Wavelens developed a variable-focal-point lens on silicon—a novel approach that has the advantages of being four times smaller and consuming 1,000 times less power than current autofocus solutions. The lens is particularly well-suited to applications that require a small form factor, high speed, lowpower consumption, and affordable cost. And, because the microsystem is fabricated at wafer scale, it is easy to integrate into smartphone optical systems and/or cameras. The company is also working on new mediumterm applications for the technology, like image stabilization and zoom, as it continues to roll out its current autofocus system. Ultimately, the technology could address higher-addedvalue markets like manufacturing, healthcare, defense, and automotive.

Wavelens holds exclusive licenses to around ten Leti patents for these technologies.