Sony has announced two short-wavelength infra-red (SWIR) image sensors with 5μm pixels for industrial equipment, that also image in visible light too – with digital outputs to make them compatible with equipment set-up for visible light CMOS cameras.

Sony-image-swir-sensor-photo

They are based on the company’s SenSWIR technology, with photodiodes formed in an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) layer, Cu-Cu connected to a silicon readout circuit – allowing broadband sensitivity from 0.4μm to 1.7μm (blue to IR).

Sony-SWIR image-sensor-diagCopper-copper bonding is important, according to Sony, because this allows a closer pixel spacing that is available using conventional conventional bump connections.

sony-swir-image-sensor-IR-applesBruises in apples, not visible to the eye, exposed by infra-red imaging

In addition, it allows “Sony’s original technology to make the top InP layer, which absorbs visible light, thinner, making it possible to transmit light to the InGaAs layer underneath, delivering high quantum efficiency even in the visible range” – allowing one camera to be used instead of separate visible and SWIR cameras.

The parts are:

• IMX990 – 1,296 x 1,032 1.34Mpixel SXGA with 8.2 mm diagonal (‘1/2-type’)
• Frame rate, full pixel: 130frame/s (8bit), 120frame/s (10bit) or 70frame/s (12bit)
• IMX991 – 656 x 520 340kpixel VGA with 4.1 mm diagonal (‘1/4-type’)
• Frame rate, full pixel: 250frame/s (8bit), 240frame/s (10bit) or 130frame/s (12bit)

Common specs are:

• 5μm x 5μm unit cell
• Power: 2.2V, 1.2V (pixel); 3.3V, 2.2V (analogue); 1.2V (digital); 1.8V (interface)
• global shutter, digital thermometer, ROI functions
• SLVS output (2/4ch switching)
• 30 x 30 ceramic PGA with built-in thermoelectric cooling
• 20 x 16.8mm ceramic LGA