Unlocking the Invisible with Sony SWIR Picture Sensors

Sony’s Brief-Wave Infrared (SWIR) picture sensors are remodeling industries by permitting the detection of supplies and substances invisible to the human eye. That is a part of a bigger push on sensors, a site Sony may be very profitable in.

By harnessing particular wavelengths of sunshine, SWIR sensors seize pictures not solely within the seen spectrum but additionally within the short-wavelength infrared area, enabling superior functions throughout varied sectors, equivalent to meals inspection, materials sorting, contaminant detection, and semiconductor manufacturing. We’ve seen a live demo at CEATEC 2024 in Japan.

One key attribute of SWIR expertise is its potential to distinguish between supplies based mostly on their absorption and reflection of sunshine at particular wavelengths. As an illustration, water, which normally seems clear in seen mild, absorbs SWIR mild, inflicting it to look black.

This property makes it extremely efficient for figuring out moisture ranges in objects, equivalent to in meals inspection, the place figuring out the presence of moisture could be important for making certain high quality and security. SWIR sensors, due to this fact, enable for the detection of international objects and contaminants that might be troublesome or unimaginable to determine with the bare eye.

Moreover, SWIR sensors also can seize high-resolution pictures in environments the place seen mild is obstructed. Their potential to see by mist or smoke enhances their utility in varied functions the place environmental situations can restrict visibility.

This makes them invaluable in precision inspections, the place figuring out minute contaminants or defects could be essential for operational effectivity and high quality management.

Sony’s innovation on this house facilities on its SenSWIR expertise, a wide-band and high-sensitivity SWIR picture sensor. This expertise merges compound semiconductor InGaAs (Indium Gallium Arsenide) photodiodes with silicon readout circuits by Cu-Cu bonding, enhancing the sensor’s sensitivity and efficiency.

SenSWIR sensors supply improved imaging precision, enabling industries to see past the floor and detect the undetectable, enhancing productiveness and inspection accuracy.Sony’s SWIR picture sensors, notably the SenSWIR technology, are setting new requirements in imaging by capturing invisible wavelengths of sunshine.

Their utility in industries like meals security, materials sorting, and semiconductor inspection is revolutionizing how these sectors determine and handle beforehand undetectable points.

Filed in General. Learn extra about CEATEC, Ceatec 2024, Japan and Sony.