Metalenz strikes production deal to bring compact face biometrics to consumer devices

Metalenz has partnered with semiconductor foundry United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) to begin mass production of Polar ID, a compact biometric solution designed to deliver secure face authentication for consumer electronics.

The new technology is built on Metalenz’s proprietary metasurface optics, which replace traditional lens stacks with ultra-thin, polarization-sensitive meta-optics. These are directly integrated onto image sensors and paired with advanced algorithms to simplify and enhance biometric performance. Metalenz is aiming for mass markets for the first time.

The solution has already been demonstrated on a “smartphone reference platform” powered by Snapdragon processors, according to a release. A leaker reported that Samsung has been testing Metalenz face biometrics for a future flagship phone. The software in development for the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra supposedly refers to “Polar ID v1.0” and a “polarized-light authentication system” among its biometric security features. Posting on X, the leaker relates claims of Polar ID delivering face unlock with latency of 180ms and improved spoof detection.

Polar ID uses polarization-based sensing to extract material and contour data via a single image, enabling payment-grade facial recognition in devices with limited space. “Metalenz is the critical enabler of the metasurface market,” says Rob Devlin, CEO and co-founder of Metalenz. The chief executive points to the first generation of Metalenz’s technology “replacing lens stacks” in sensing solutions.

UMC is manufacturing the meta-optic layer using its 40nm process and wafer-on-wafer bonding technology, employing its 300mm fabrication capabilities to support high-volume production. “By combining our metasurface innovation with UMC’s manufacturing scale and process maturity, Polar ID is ready to meet the demands of high-volume consumer electronics, and to bring secure, affordable face authentication to billions of devices,” says Devlin.

A pioneer in metasurface optics, Metalenz has partnered with UMC since 2021 to commercialize metasurface technology. “This collaboration will enable UMC to expand our offering into sensor integrated metasurfaces and play a pioneering role in delivering this disruptive imaging technology to market,” says Steven Hsu, VP of technology development at UMC, a large semiconductor foundry company based in Taiwan.

Metalenz is anticipating Polar ID to be adopted across mobile, IoT and consumer electronics platforms, offering a scalable path to secure biometrics in the “smallest, simplest form factor.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  facial authentication  |  Metalenz  |  metasurface  |  Polar ID  |  smartphones