Article: Night-Vision Camera Combines Thermal And Low-Light-Level Images

By Raf Vandersmissen, XenICs NV

Even on moonless but starlit nights, highly sensitive InGaAs cameras still produce good images for short-wavelength infrared. By thinning the image sensor chip and with illumination right through the substrate, the wavelength range of the detectors can be extended into the visible spectrum to then span 400 – 1700 nm. Together with uncooled microbolometer arrays for long-wavelength infrared, this allows the design of universal analysis tools which can take advantage of the fusion of optical and thermal images.