Applications of SWIR Cameras
If you’re an art historian, you may be familiar with the applications of SWIR cameras. SWIR cameras are used to see the details of pencil and charcoal drawings. These cameras allow art historians and artists to visually verify the authenticity valuable documents. Here are a few examples. Below are some examples of SWIR cameras. All of them require a camera with a high sensitivity to infrared light.
Machine Vision Camera
SWIR cameras provide a number of advantages for machine vision applications. One of these is improved speed. These cameras operate at standard video rates of 30 to 60 frames per second and can detect objects at speeds as high as ninety thousand lines per second. These cameras can record full 1024-pixel resolution at 12 bit. These cameras are extremely cost-effective. Here are some of the most popular uses of SWIR cameras.
Vision systems are based on industrial machine vision cameras. Machine vision industries are evolving to keep up with the cost-effective and sophisticated machine vision industry. SWIR cameras are used in the glass industry to efficiently identify and reprocess rejected parts. SWIR cameras can also detect the centroid energy of laser spots in an industry setting. The camera can detect the centroid energy and identify contaminated materials.
Another popular application of SWIR cameras is moisture detection. Water is transparent to visible light and absorbs strongly at wavelengths of 1450 to 1900 nm. The SWIR camera can detect moisture in coatings, detect fill levels of non-transparent containers, and measure the relative water content of plants. The SWIR camera can detect defects in silicon products as well as identify recycled plastics. In addition to these applications, SWIR cameras have optical coatings to improve image quality.
Swir InGaAs Camera
An SWIR InGaAs Camera is a great choice for many defense applications. The uncooled design of the camera is lightweight and sensitive to nightglow. Its high-resolution images can be used to detect laser designators and can be attached to covert eye-safe lasers. Several applications for SWIR imaging include target recognition and laser gated imaging. The advantages of the SWIR InGaAs camera are numerous.
Moisture detection is one of the most popular SWIR applications. While water is transparent to visible light, it absorbs strongly between 1450 and 1900 nm, producing an image that looks black. This capability makes it a viable tool for detecting water, as it helps identify areas of water deficiency, as well as areas of excess water. It can also be used to measure relative water content in plants, and can even detect damaged fruits.
InGaAs cameras are particularly useful in detecting cracks and defects on silicon. Because it can penetrate the in-vivo tissue, InGaAs cameras are essential for humidity measurements, surface film distribution, and material separation. A drawback of this imaging technology is its high dark noise, which is usually higher than one spectral wavelength. Deep cooling, however, reduces the dark noise.
Silicon Inspection Camera
Traditionally, silicon surface inspection has been performed using CCD or CMOS cameras. These cameras have a wavelength response of 350 to 1000 nm. Deep-depleted silicon devices provide sufficient quantum efficiency for seeing the shortest wavelengths but require long integration times, and are not suitable for imaging intraband emissions of Si above 1100 nm. This makes them suitable for offline front-side inspection. Here are some advantages of Si-based cameras.
A spectroscopic camera is capable of detecting small defects. The lens’ polarization allows the camera to capture images using polarized light. This feature is important for the inspection of reflective surfaces. The camera can also be used with single dies or silicon wafers. Another feature that distinguishes it from other cameras is its ESD-safe stand. The spectral resolution of SWIR cameras is approximately three times higher than a conventional camera.
A silicon inspection camera can detect defects in silicon wafers, solar-cell panels, and integrated circuits. This improves productivity and yields. InGaAs cameras are becoming more popular in silicon inspection applications. InGaAs cameras are especially useful for monitoring wafer bonding processes. It can detect defects in silicon, even when they’re hidden behind the material.