Fast infrared sensors for advanced 3D imaging

用于高级 3D 成像的快速红外传感器

• 批准号: 556024-2020
• 负责人: Sargent, Edward
• 金额: $ 9.11万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Idea to Innovation
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=706073
• 关键词: Fast; infrared; sensors; advanced; 3D

We will advance a new technology for time-of-flight (ToF) distance ranging that enables 3D imaging. The application of the technology is in the consumer electronics and automotive sectors - markets today totaling multi-$10Billion at the sensor level, and growing at 23%/year CAGR. There is increasing demand in consumer electronics for augmented reality and enhanced user experience; reliable face identification and biometrics for privacy and security of personal data; and, in the automotive sector, for accurate machine vision to enable safe self-driving cars. The incumbent technology relies on the emission of sub-nanosecond pulses of near-infrared (typically 850 and 940 nm) light that, once reflected from the object being imaged (the target), are detected using a silicon photodetector. The delay time between emission from the source, and return to the detector, contains information about the distance of the object. Today's technologies are limited by silicon's insensitivity to infrared light longer than 1100 nm - a spectral region where cost-effective and efficient light sources exist, and background solar radiation is minimized. The present-day alternatives to silicon, such as InGaAs, are too costly and difficult to integrate in existing readout electronic systems. Our new ToF technology employs colloidal quantum dots (QD) to realize efficient, fast, and cost-effective photodetectors operating at 1380 nm. This grant will enable the development of a prototype and the systematic comparison of its performance compared to existing / incumbent technologies. These results will be key to attract seed investment in a startup company and to establish strategic partnerships to accelerate the time to marketing of the proposed technology.

我们将推进一项新技术，用于飞行时间（TOF）距离，以实现3D成像。该技术的应用是在消费电子和汽车领域中的应用 - 当今市场总计100亿美元，在传感器水平上，以每年23％的复合年增长率增长。消费电子对增强现实和增强用户体验的需求不断增加；可靠的面部识别和生物识别技术，以实现个人数据的隐私和安全性；并且，在汽车行业中，为了准确的机器视觉，可以实现安全的自动驾驶汽车。现有技术依赖于近红外（通常为850和940 nm）的近纳秒脉冲的发射，该光线曾经从所成像的物体（目标）中反射出来，使用硅光电探测器检测到。从源发射之间的延迟时间，并返回检测器，包含有关对象距离的信息。当今的技术受到硅对超过1100 nm的红外光的不敏感性的限制，这是存在具有成本效益有效的光源的光谱区域，并且背景太阳辐射被最小化。当今的硅替代品（例如Ingaas）过于昂贵且难以集成到现有的读取电子系统中。我们的新TOF技术采用胶体量子点（QD）来实现在1380 nm处运行的有效，快速和具有成本效益的光电视。这项赠款将使原型的开发以及与现有 /现有技术相比的系统比较。这些结果将是吸引一家初创公司的种子投资，并建立战略合作伙伴关系以加速拟议技术的时间的关键。