Communications of the ACM
New Technology Could Cut Costs of Night Vision, Thermal Imaging
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas say semiconductor technology they have developed could make night vision and thermal imaging more affordable.
Credit: Viper Technologies
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) say they have developed semiconductor technology that could make night vision and thermal imaging affordable for everyday use.
Their device detects electromagnetic waves to create images at nearly 10 terahertz, which is the highest frequency for electronic devices. The device relies on Schottky diodes in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, which is used to make affordable consumer electronic devices.
"There are no existing electronic detection systems operating in CMOS that can reach above 5 terahertz," says UTD researcher Zeshan Ahmad, lead author of the work. "We designed our chip in such a way that it can be mass-produced inexpensively, has a smaller pixel, and operates at higher frequencies." He says the technology could be used for a wide range of applications, including imaging animals near a road while driving at night, or imaging intruders in darkness.
"This is a truly remarkable accomplishment," says UTD professor Kenneth O. "Twenty years ago, we were struggling to build CMOS circuits operating at 1 gigahertz. Now we are building circuits working at frequencies that are 10,000 times higher."
From UT Dallas News
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2015 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found