Onsemi Acquires Durham High-Tech Imaging Company
ON Semiconductor Corporation (Onsemi), an Arizona-based semiconductor supplier, this week announced the acquisition of SWIR Vision Systems in Research Triangle Park.
SWIR provides CQD (colloidal quantum-dot based) short wavelength infrared technology that can extend the detectable light spectrum to see through objects and capture images not previously possible.
“The integration of this patented technology within Onsemi’s industry-leading CMOS sensors will significantly enhance the company’s intelligent sensing product portfolio and pave the way for further growth in key markets, including industrial, automotive, and defense,” according to a news release from Onsemi.
CQD technology uses nanoparticles or crystals with unique optical and electronic properties that can be tuned to absorb an extended wavelength. The tech has seen limited adoption due to high cost and the “manufacturing complexity of the traditional indium gallium arsenide (InGAas) process.” This acquisition is expected to allow Onsemi to apply its manufacturing expertise to deliver SWIR sensors at lower cost and higher volume.
The SWIR sensors can see through dense materials, gases, fabrics, and plastics, and are of use in surveillance systems, silicon inspection, machine vision imaging, and food inspection.
“Our SWIR cameras can see things invisible to the naked eye by capturing light in the shortwave infrared spectrum,” SWIR’s global sales manager, Sam Wyman, told Southpoint Access earlier this year. “This capability allows us to detect invisible lasers commonly used in a variety of consumer electronics.”
For food quality control, the technology can reveal imperfections and contaminants, so that “we ensure the highest standards of safety and quality in the foods we eat,” Wyman said.
“In autonomous vehicle imaging, the higher spectra will create better visibility to see through difficult conditions, such as extreme darkness, thick fog, or winter glare,” the news release states.
The company got its start in 2018 and had grown to 25 people as of late March, many of them alumni from local universities.
“By tapping into the rich pool of talent coming from our local universities, we’re fostering innovation right here in our backyard while serving a diverse global clientele that relies on our cameras for a range of critical applications,” Wyman said.
SWIR’s team in RTP is now integrated into Onsemi’s intelligent sensing group. They’re expected to keep operating here in North Carolina.
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