Infrared-light detector works at room temperature

Citation

(2002), "Infrared-light detector works at room temperature", Sensor Review, Vol. 22 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2002.08722cab.006

Infrared-light detector works at room temperature

Infrared-light detector works at room temperature

Keyword: Infrared

Japan's Yokogawa Electric Corp. has taken the wraps off an infrared-light detector that operates at room temperature. Such IR-light detectors can be used at power plants and chemical work to inspect the inside of pipes for corrosion detection. Objects, say Yokogawa technicians, all have unique infrared signatures so that important information can be gleaned by inspecting the IR light of specific wavelengths. The trouble is, the sensors have to be cooled to temperatures of about –200°C to work.

The firm's brand-new designs eliminate the need for cooling equipment and open the door to development of small IR-light sensors for a broad range of applications. These include greater use in wireless communications; while further down the line are applications in the food and medical industries – in analysis of the components of foods or inspection of the inside of blood vessels.

Yokogawa's new sensor makes use of a miniature metal antenna fabricated on a semiconductor substrate to capture IR light. The wavelength that is detected depends entirely on the length of the antenna.

The company, the world's second largest maker of industrial instruments, has fabricated prototypes with antennas that measure 30-250 microns in length. Technicians have also verified the ability of the sensor to detect light with wavelengths from 10 microns all the way up to the microwave part of the spectrum where wavelengths are measured in millimetres. Results to date suggest it should be possible to detect IR light with wavelengths as short as only two microns.