MetaOptics Ltd has shared new technical details on a next-generation optical module it says could bring 3D, non-contact fingerprint biometrics to space-constrained devices such as smartphones and notebooks. The Singapore-based company is targeting an overall module thickness of about 5mm, a dimension that would put the approach into the realm of practical handset integration if it can be manufactured at scale.
The update centers on a tunable metalens stack designed to replace the mechanical focusing systems used in conventional camera modules. Rather than relying on a voice-coil motor (VCM) to physically move lens elements, MetaOptics is using an electronically tuned liquid crystal (LC) layer positioned between two ultra-thin metalenses. By applying voltage across the LC layer, the system can adjust its optical characteristics without moving parts, enabling what the company describes as an “active” optical architecture for fingerprint capture.
In the current design, the two metalenses are each 2.0mm in diameter and mounted on 0.775mm glass substrates, with an LC layer of roughly 100 micrometers separating them. The demonstrator uses green light at 532nm and a monochrome sensor, a configuration aimed at capturing fine ridge details at a distance rather than requiring a finger to touch the sensor surface.
“With this next-generation tunable metalens solution, we are targeting a significant reduction in module size down to approximately a 5mm encapsulation, enabling mounting in space-constrained consumer electronics such as 5G smartphones and notebooks,” MetaOptics said in the release. Dr. Tobias W. W. Mass, the company’s VP of Systems, said the LC approach was selected because it is a mature platform with “high optical design freedom” while maintaining fully electronic actuation.
The development is being carried out with a Singapore national semiconductor commercialization institute. MetaOptics framed the project as a continuation of its earlier contactless 3D biometric module demonstrations shown at CES 2025 and CES 2026, but said the tunable metalens design is intended to shrink the form factor and improve manufacturing yield relative to VCM-based alternatives.
While the company has not announced a commercial product timeline, the design addresses two longstanding hurdles for touchless fingerprint scanning on phones: fitting the optics into a thin enclosure and achieving reliable focus electronically. If those constraints can be met, 3D non-contact fingerprint capture could become a viable alternative to under-display capacitive and optical sensors for mobile authentication.
Sources: PR Newswire
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By the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
