Apple has awarded $410 million to II-VI, a manufacturer of optical technology, to source future components for iPhone.
The award builds on an initial $390 million awarded from Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to II-VI in 2017.
II-VI manufactures vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) that help power Face ID, Memoji, Animoji, and Portrait mode selfies.
Apple 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 Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.
Apple’s expanded partnership with II-VI is part of the company’s plans to invest $430 billion and add 20,000 new jobs across the US over the next five years.
The contract with II-VI will create additional capacity and accelerate production of future components for iPhone, supporting more than 700 jobs across the US.
“The partnership between Apple and II-VI sets the stage for a new wave of breakthrough technologies that we believe will enable a range of applications that will benefit our world for decades to come,” said Vincent Mattera Jr, II-VI’s CEO.
