Imec Introduces New Snapshot Hyperspectral Image Sensors

At SPIE Photonics West 2015, imec presented a new set of snapshot hyperspectral CMOS image sensors featuring spectral filter structures in a mosaic layout, processed per-pixel on 4×4 and 5×5 ‘Bayer-like’ arrays.
 
Imec’s hyperspectral filter structures are processed at wafer-level on commercially available CMOS image sensor wafers, enabling extremely compact, low cost and mass-producible hyperspectral imaging solutions. This paves the way to multiple applications ranging from machine vision, medical imaging, precision agriculture to higher volume industries such as security, automotive and consumer electronic devices.
 
“Imec’s latest achievements in hyperspectral imaging emphasize how our promising technology has become an industrially viable solution for a number of applications,” said Andy Lambrechts, program manager at imec. “The new mosaic architecture, and extended spectral range, brings unique advantages compared to our previously announced hyperspectral linescan sensors for applications in which scanning would not be practical. It enables spectral imaging in a truly compact, tiny form-factor that can even be scaled to handheld devices.”
 
“Imec’s hyperspectral imaging sensors (100bands linescan, 32bands tiled and 16/25bands mosaic designs) are off-the-shelf, commercially available engineering sample sensors that we developed to address the fragmented machine vision market and to trigger interest for this unique technology from potential end-users in other industries,” added Jerome Baron, business development manager at imec.