New SWIR line-scan camera for silicon PV quality control

France's New Imaging Technologies has launched a short-wave infrared line-by-line scanning camera for high-definition and high-performance silicon PV inspection systems.

New Imaging Technologies (NIT), a subsidiary of French defense and aerospace infrared imaging specialist Lynred, has launched LiSaSWIR, a new high-speed short-wave infrared (SWIR) line-by-line scanning camera suitable for quality inspection of silicon wafers and solar PV panels.

The LiSaSWIR has a resolution of 2048 x 1 pixel with 8µm pixel pitch, a frame rate of over 80kHz full frame and a read-out noise of 90e-. The spectral response is in the 9 μm to 1.7 μm range. It is based on an internally supplied indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) line scan array sensor.

“This industrial sensor and camera will provide a high-definition and high-performance inspection solution to our customers at a price point that will enable new breakthrough applications,” François Coursaget, General Manager of NIT, said in a statement.

The speed and sensitivity of the LiSaSWIR camera reportedly help optimize overall production efficiency, according to the manufacturer.

The product has a compact form factor, designed for integration into industrial inspection systems. For example, it is optimized for a standard 1.1″ (27.9 mm) optical lens format and it is compliant with the generic camera programming interfaces GenICam and GenCP.

The manufacturer claims low cost-per-pixel, best-in-class readout noise, ultra-short integration times, and a high operational speed.