Sofradir launches Snake SW Tecless, the smallest VGA SWIR detector supporting high volume industrial imaging applications

Palaiseau, near Paris, France, January 10, 2018 – Sofradir, the global leader in advanced infrared (IR) detectors for aerospace, defense and commercial markets, today announces the launch of Snake SW Tecless, the smallest footprint high-resolution (VGA) shortwave infrared detector (SWIR). It is designed for use in high-volume industrial, scientific and surveillance applications, such as inspection, sorting, thermography or security monitoring tasks etc. Snake SW Tecless brings camera makers important cost benefits, whilst offering fast frame rates (300fps) and an industry-leading signal-to-noise ratio; key factors affecting a camera’s ability to perform at its full capacity.

Snake SW Tecless is the first shortwave infrared detector without a cooler that Sofradir has commercialized. This new design furthers the company’s capacity to bring compatible solutions to system developers seeking to identify defects or perform analysis of raw materials, among other vision tasks going beyond the capabilities of visible cameras and aiming at increasing manufacturing yields.

“Snake SW Tecless extends Sofradir’s SWIR product line aimed at industrial, scientific and security applications. We have shrunk the size of the IR detector to enable easier integration into small footprint cameras, whilst achieving a frame rate that is compatible with most industrial in-line inspection requirements,” said Claire Valentin, VP marketing at Sofradir. “We are excited about the potential our small footprint Snake SW Tecless offers in opening up new machine vision opportunities for our clients. Sofradir continues to deliver state-of-the-art solutions to meet customer requirements and push performance to new horizons. We look forward to engaging with customers on the benefits of deploying our high speed, low noise SWIR technology for vision tasks.”

Snake SW Tecless, the smallest footprint VGA SWIR, is designed with Sofradir’s proprietary InGaAs (Indium Gallium Arsenide) technology. The new uncooled package (0.65 inch² /2.73cm²) represents only one-fifth of the physical dimensions of other Sofradir Snake SW detector products. Its compactness makes it highly suitable for:

• In-line inspection and sorting, notably machine vision for semiconductors, agricultural, pharmaceutical or chemical products
• Thermography, including hot process control in glass and metal industries
• Addressing size, weight, power consumption and cost reduction (SWAP-C) needs in surveillance applications, such as traffic monitoring and transport security

Sofradir will exhibit Snake SW Tecless at booth 1746 during Photonics West, January 29 to February 1. The new product is assembled using cost-efficient and high volume processes adopted by CMOS image sensors. It is available in production volumes for camera or system integration.

About Sofradir

Sofradir is the leading developer and manufacturer of key classes of advanced infrared (IR) detectors for military, space, scientific and industrial applications. Its vast IR product portfolio covers the entire spectrum from visible and near infrared to very far infrared. Sofradir pioneers developments in cooled IR detectors based on a sophisticated high performance technology: Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT), to which Sofradir has added Indium Antimonide (InSb), Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) and Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) technologies. Many of the world’s system makers use Sofradir’s military-grade, battlefield proven IR detectors for missile seekers, targeting pods, armored vehicle sights, handheld thermal imagers and other airborne, naval and ground vehicle applications. Sofradir is the leading European manufacturer for IR detectors deployed in space. Founded in 1986, Sofradir is headquartered in Palaiseau, near Paris. It carries out research and development as well as high volume manufacturing at two facilities: Veurey-Voroize, near Grenoble, and Palaiseau, near Paris. Sofradir owns two subsidiaries: ULIS, a high volume manufacturer of uncooled microbolometers based in Veurey-Voroize and US-based Sofradir-EC, a provider of uncooled and cooled IR imaging cores and engines, located in Fairfield, New Jersey. Together Sofradir, ULIS and Sofradir-EC employ more than 1000 staff. The group generated an annual turnover of $270M in 2017.

www.sofradir.com