Sofradir EC, Inc. has introduced a new pair of infrared imaging cores based on uncooled microbolometer infrared detectors. The ATOM 640 and ATOM 320 IR cores combine state-of-the-art electronics and high performance uncooled IR detectors (640x480 and 320x240, respectively) making the world’s smallest thermal imaging modules. Consuming less than 1W (0.8W for the ATOM 320) and with a total volume of approximately 6 in³ (ATOM 320), the ATOM IR cores are ideal for integration into handheld thermal imaging product and small unmanned platforms.

For more information, visit www.ircores.com.

Sofradir EC, Inc. has introduced a product line of infrared imaging engines based on cryogenically cooled MCT infrared detectors. A variety of models are being offered that span the infrared spectrum, including short-wave SWIR (800 nm - 2.5 μm), mid-wave MWIR (3-5 μm or 1.5 - 5µm), and long-wave LWIR (7.7 - 9.5 μm or 7.7 - 11.5 μm) models. Because of their versatility, these engines are ideal for easy integration into a wide range of electro-optical systems, delivering exceptional sensitivity and resolution performance.

The Sofradir EC infrared camera engine family harnesses the full performance of the Sofradir Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) focal plane arrays while offering unique flexibility to meet the needs of any application or OEM requirement. The engines are available in mid-format (320x256), large-format (640x512), and megapixel (1280x1024).

The engines have a common connectivity and interface logic. The engine electronics include camera control electronics and a cooler controller board. The camera outputs corrected or uncorrected NTSC/PAL video and 14-bit digital data. Communication is over a serial (RS-232) interface. 14-bit digital data is streamed via LVDS or through optional CameraLink™ and/or Gigabit Ethernet. With optional optical mounts, optics, user interface panels, and housings, the engines can be customized to meet any requirement. In addition Sofradir EC offers a variety of software developer toolkits (SDKs) and command software modules for further flexibility.

For more information, visit www.ircores.com.

ULIS, a leading manufacturer of thermal imaging detectors announced today that the company has expanded the production capacity of its microbolometer arrays from 50,000 to 200,000 units per year. ULIS is augmenting its production capacity in order to meet the growing demands for IR detectors by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to be used in infrared cameras designed for military, industrial, public safety and security applications. These OEMs are capitalizing on the rapid market acceptance of thermal imaging technology.

ULIS sees three leading market drivers: the emerging trend to add infrared capability to visible surveillance cameras (about 25 million are currently installed worldwide); large volume military night vision programs (particularly in the US); and new regulations in energy conservation and building compliance.

"This initiative is our first step in a capacity expansion plan that will address the market for large-scale orders, over 100,000 units," says Jean-François Delepau, managing director of ULIS. "Customers can be assured of a ready and available supply that hits mass market target price points enabling them to be aggressively more competitive in the market."

According to ULIS, one example of the market growth is by trade professionals that are now using thermal imagers to inspect building equipment. With the help of an IR camera, plumbers can assess the water temperature distribution of pipes embedded in under-floor heating. There are roughly 800,000 plumbing enterprises in North America and Europe. “With a camera price below $3,000, these trade professionals can now benefit from the capabilities thermal imaging can add to their service portfolio,” added Delepau.

The production ramp-up initiative is also an outcome of the double-digit compound growth ULIS has been experiencing every year since its founding in 2002, when it was spun-off from CEA-Leti, a leading European micro and nanotechnologies R&D center and Sofradir, a leader in cooled IR detectors. GE Equity replaced CEA-Leti as minority shareholder in 2008.

About ULIS

ULIS manufactures high-volume infrared detectors for low-cost, low power, lightweight IR cameras. It offers a range of small and large format IR products for industrial, professional, and security applications. ULIS’ IR detectors are key components of IR equipment increasingly used for energy audits in buildings, thermography, security and surveillance, and night vision driving for motor vehicles, as well as firefighting and lightweight military equipment. ULIS is the leader of uncooled infrared detectors based on an amorphous silicon technology called microbolometers, an easy and reliable semiconductor material to manufacture. Customers recognize ULIS’ IR detectors for their low weight, low power consumption and availability in large volumes. Compared with any other thermal imaging supplier, ULIS offers unique advantages in enabling OEMs, worldwide, to custom-design IR systems, allowing them to achieve true differentiation with their IR camera products.

ULIS, a subsidiary of Sofradir and GE Equity, is located in Veurey-Voroize, near Grenoble, France and employs 120 people.

Sofradir, a developer and manufacturer of advanced infrared detectors for military, space and industrial applications, today announced it will demonstrate its new Avalanche Photodiode (APD) mid-TV format IR detector for amplifying low input signals and give five presentations on advanced research in Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT/HgCdTe) technology at the SPIE Defense, Security & Sensing Conference in Orlando, Florida, April 14–17, 2009.

“We see our MCT Avalanche Photodiode 30-micron pitch IR detector offering customers a flexible solution to address emerging opportunities in IR applications where input light signals are very low,“ says Philippe Tribolet, VP R&D, Technology and Products at Sofradir. “The SPIE Defense, Security & Sensing Conference is a forum in which Sofradir has actively participated for the past 16 years. It is an ideal meeting at which to demonstrate our new low-noise APD IR detector offering system integrators a choice of wavebands, more compact optics and an ability to overcome any low input signal Read-Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) performance degradation.” Designed for military applications, active imagery (laser gated imaging), spectrometry, gas detection and a range of scientific applications, Sofradir’s APD 30-micron pitch IR detector made with Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) technology enables users to operate cameras with small apertures or with narrow wavebands in extreme low light detection.

Sofradir’s APD IR detector can amplify low input signals by a factor of 5,300 keeping the photodiode signal to noise level constant, a result unmatched by competing technologies the company says.

The announcement further expands Sofradir’s large portfolio of high-performance, high volume MCT IR detectors in the short-waveband (1 to 2.5 micron), and mid-waveband (3 to 5). It can be used for active imagery (2-D or 3-D). It can also be used for passive imagery, where low input signals are amplified.

The R&D team at Sofradir will present five technical papers during SPIE, a leading meeting in the defense industry that brings together top researchers, scientists and engineers from the military, industry and academia.

The presentations are:

• Uniting IR detectors for tactical and space applications: a continuous cycle of reliability
• 50 years of successful MCT research and production in France
• New high gain IR detectors for active imaging
• Ultra low power ADC on chip for high performance IR detectors
• Sofradir MCT technology for space applications.

About Sofradir

Sofradir develops and manufactures advanced infrared detectors (IR) for military, space and commercial applications. It specializes in cooled IR detectors based on a sophisticated high performance technology, Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT), and its vast product portfolio of scanning and staring arrays covers the entire infrared spectrum. Sofradir also offers QWIP detectors developed in cooperation with Thales.

Sofradir owns two subsidiaries: ULIS, of which GE Equity has 15 percent ownership, and Sofradir EC. ULIS is a high volume manufacturer of infrared detectors for low-cost IR cameras for industrial, professional and security applications. Sofradir EC develops and supplies infrared equipment for scientific, industrial, public safety, security and defense applications.

Customers for the group include the US Army, Thales, Sagem, Selex, Thales Alenia Space, ESA (European Space Agency) and FLIR Systems.

Sofradir's headquarters are located in Châtenay-Malabry, near Paris, France. Its manufacturing facilities and those of ULIS are located in Veurey-Voroize, near Grenoble, in France. Sofradir EC is based in Fairfield, NJ (USA). Sofradir, ULIS and Sofradir EC employ more than 500 people. Total sales in 2008 were in the order of EUR 120 million (USD 150 to 160 million).

Sofradir is the leader in sophisticated Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) technology for cooled IR systems and has a large portfolio of imaging sensors across the whole IR spectrum. The company pioneered 15-micron pitch fabrication in 2005 and today is in full rate production of small pixel imaging arrays. Epsilon joins the larger Scorpio™ (640x512) and Jupiter™ (1280x1024) array family of 15-micron based products.

High QE cooled focal plane arrays provide better performance over microbolometers, but traditionally have paid a penalty in terms of size, weight and power consumption. Sofradir’s advanced small pixel technology combined with a small rotary cooler has reduced the power consumption to only 2W – almost as low as the requirements of microbolometers. Smaller batteries and a lighter, more compact system translate into reduced fatigue for handheld/NVG operators, flexible integration for system builders, and greater payload options for small UAVs. “Epsilon gives systems engineers the ability to leverage MCT array’s high quantum efficiency, which results in much small f3.0 optics and warm operating temperature, which can greatly increase a systems MTBF," states Chris Alicandro, Director of Sales at Sofradir-EC. “We expect Epsilon will find its way into many military electro-optical systems in the near future," concluded Alicandro during a recent industry conference on military night vision.

Sofradir, headquartered in France, wholly owns Electrophysics, which has been renamed Sofradir EC (Sofradir Engineered Components).

Frank Vallese, former owner of Electrophysics, will head Sofradir EC as President. Philippe Bensussan, Chairman and CEO of Sofradir and Chairman of ULIS, will also serve as Chairman of Sofradir EC.

"The name Sofradir EC is intended to leverage the strength of our brand and reputation as a quality supplier of IR detectors in the defense, space and commercial industries," said Bensussan. "Sofradir EC will help our company meet the specific needs of North American customers of cooled and uncooled IR detectors." The estimated North American market for infrared detectors is USD 1 billion.

Sofradir EC will continue developing and supplying infrared equipment such as specialized thermography equipment, and night vision modules for low-light photography and videography, focusing on scientific, industrial, public safety, security and defense applications.

The acquisition is expected to accelerate the development of Sofradir and its subsidiary ULIS in the North American market. It will provide Sofradir and ULIS with a US platform to better serve the North American IR detector and module market, estimated at USD 1 billion (approx. Eur 700 M), the largest in the world.

“This strategic foothold will boost Sofradir and ULIS’s growth by bringing us closer to customers in the US who will have ready access to our advanced cooled and uncooled IR technologies, known for their performance, reliability and productibility,” said Philippe Bensussan, Chairman and CEO of Sofradir and Chairman of ULIS. “Having a US base of operations will allow us to be more cost competitive and responsive to our customers.”

Electrophysics’ president Frank Vallese, who will continue to head the US operation said: “We are delighted with this opportunity. It will be a big plus to have Sofradir’s talent, technology and expertise here on North American soil. Sofradir has an exciting product development roadmap and an established history of delivering high-quality IR detectors. We foresee a wide range of market opportunities in public safety, security and defense, supplying both OEM’s and system integrators.”

Sofradir is a leading provider of IR detectors. Together with ULIS, the company shipped 40,000 IR detectors worldwide this year. The purchase of Electrophysics, founded in 1969, will help it ramp up sales and enhance the service it provides to US customers in the defense, space and commercial industries. “By joining the experienced team of 35 at Electrophysics, Sofradir is taking an important step forward to the benefit of the customers of both companies,” added Bensussan.

About Sofradir

Sofradir develops and manufactures advanced infrared detectors (IR) for military, space and commercial applications. It specializes in cooled IR detectors based on a sophisticated high performance technology, Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT), and its vast product portfolio of scanning and staring arrays covers the entire infrared spectrum. Sofradir also offers QWIP detectors developed in cooperation with Thales. Ulis, a subsidiary of Sofradir, designs and manufactures low-cost, uncooled amorphous silicon infrared detectors for commercial applications. Together the companies generated revenues of USD 165 M (EUR 110 M) in 2007. Sofradir and Ulis directly export more than 70 percent of their products. Customers include the US Army, Thales, Sagem, Selex, Thales Alenia Space, ESA (European Space Agency) and FLIR Systems. Sofradir’s headquarters is located in Chatenay-Malabry, near Paris, France. Its manufacturing facilities and those of ULIS are located in Veurey-Voroize, near Grenoble. Sofradir and Ulis employ 470 people.

About Electrophysics

Founded in 1969, Electrophysics designs and manufactures infrared equipment for a wide range of imaging applications including portable thermal imagers as well as night vision modules for low-light photography and videography. The company sells to industrial, scientific, law enforcement and US Department of Defense customers. In addition, it develops image acquisition and analysis software and a range of application-specific accessories including optics. The company, located in Fairfield, New Jersey, USA, has 35 employees and annual revenues of USD 12 M (EUR 8 M).

A Letter from the President