Avalanching nanoparticles for short-wave infrared imaging

This technology uses an avalanching nanoparticle optical conversion layer to enable SWIR imaging with a conventional silicon-based camera.

Unmet Need: Affordable, low-noise short-wave infrared imaging

Short-wave infrared (SWIR) photodetector materials, including InGaAs semiconductors and colloidal quantum dots, have expanded imaging capabilities in semiconductor manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare. However, current SWIR technologies may be limited by high dark current and noise, low quantum efficiency, environmental instability, complex integration, costly fabrication, or cooling requirements. Therefore, SWIR detection technologies that combine high sensitivity, low noise, environmental stability, and simple fabrication are needed to improve the performance and accessibility of SWIR imaging.

The Technology: Avalanching nanoparticles for short-wave infrared imaging

This technology uses rare-earth-doped avalanching nanoparticles as an optical conversion layer to enable SWIR imaging with a silicon-based camera. The nanoparticles convert incoming SWIR light into shorter-wavelength emission detectable by silicon, while an infrared seed laser enhances sensitivity and response time. By leveraging commercially available silicon imagers, the technology reduces fabrication complexity, detector noise, and cooling requirements compared with conventional SWIR imaging systems.

Applications:

• High-resolution imaging
• Chemical sensing
• Semiconductor wafer inspection
• Environmental sensing
• Plastic and glass sorting
• High-speed imaging
• Industrial material inspection
• Materials characterization in research

Advantages:

• Enables high resolution images
• Low dark current and noise
• Reduce cooling requirements
• Air and photostability
• Compatible with silicon CMOS camera
• Simpler detector fabrication and integration
• Uniform synthesis
• Reduces fabrication complexity
• Enables longer low-light measurements

Lead Inventor:

P. James Schuck, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending(US18/934,975)

Related Publications:

• Lee C, Xu EZ, Kwock KWC, Teitelboim A, Liu Y, Park HS, Ursprung B, Ziffer ME, Karube Y, Fardian-Melamed N, Pedroso CCS, Kim J, Pritzl SD, Nam SH, Lohmueller T, Owen JS, Ercius P, Suh YD, Cohen BE, Chan EM, Schuck PJ. “Indefinite and bidirectional near-infrared nanocrystal photoswitching” Nature. 2023 Jun; 618(7967): 951-958.

• Lee C, Xu EZ, Liu Y, Teitelboim A, Yao K, Fernandez-Bravo A, Kotulska AM, Nam SH, Suh YD, Bednarkiewicz A, Cohen BE. “Giant nonlinear optical responses from photon-avalanching nanoparticles” Nature. 2021 Jan 14; 589(7841): 230-5.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU24019

• Licensing Contact: Greg Maskel