Market and Technology Trends

SWIR Imaging 2022

By Yole Intelligence — Feb 2022

SWIR imaging industry will drastically change thanks to the rise of under-display 3D sensing in smartphones and the new technologies from STMicroelectronics and Sony

Is this the start of a technological disruption?

Most short wavelength infrared (SWIR) imagers are currently based on InGaAs technology, whose high cost only fits uses in defense, machine vision and other niche applications. In 2020 & 2021, consumer imaging leaders entered the SWIR industry with new technology propositions. STMicroelectronics announced the development of SWIR imagers based on quantum dots. This technology is supposed to be scalable and compatible with CMOS processes, so it is an ideal candidate for consumer applications. Sony also released an innovative cheap InGaAs imager, showing its interest in this wavelength range. Both companies can speed-up cost reduction while increasing performances thanks to their high production capacities and specific know-how in imaging technologies (3D integration, 12-inch wafer process…). They could disrupt the SWIR technological landscape in the long term.

How might the SWIR imaging industrial landscape evolve?

In 2021, the SWIR industry’s leading players were SCD, Sensors Unlimited and Teledyne FLIR, sharing more than 50% of total shipments (about 11,000 units). These leaders are subsidiaries of leading defense companies that started developing SWIR technology with the support of governments for strategic purposes. They constitute the legacy side of SWIR industry. On the other side, the entrance of STMicroelectronics and Sony might be explained by growing demand from consumer OEM for new integration designs such as under-display 3D sensing in smartphones. If SWIR technology satisfies their needs, shipments might skyrocket to hundreds of millions in a few years range. SWIR industry might become like the current 3D imaging industry, where STMicroelectronics and Sony share nearly 95% of the 225 million shipments (2020 data).
.

Applications of SWIR imaging and market value:

SWIR imaging is used in defense, mainly for laser target designation. This is the largest segment by value, worth $189M in 2021. In machine vision, SWIR has many applications including plastic or food sorting, solar panel inspection and content inspection. This segment grows faster than defense and could reach $360M value in 2027, up from $94M in 2021. SWIR is also advertised for automotive (ADAS) as it allows stable image acquisition in harsh conditions such as fog, snow, sun glare, and nighttime. The segment might start by 2024 at $4M, reaching $21M by 2027. Finally, SWIR may be used in smartphone under-display 3D sensing since OLED displays are more transparent to SWIR wavelengths than the near infrared (NIR) currently used. First commercial products could be released by 2023 and might generate a value of $3.2B at the module level by 2027. Eye safety regulations are less stringent in SWIR than in NIR. Besides under-display, SWIR would allow to use more powerful illuminations and generally increase range and reliability of 3D sensing solutions compared to NIR.

Key Features:

Provide market data on key SWIR imaging technologies including market metrics and dynamics:
- SWIR area imagers/cameras and line detectors/cameras in units and revenue split by market segment.
- Historical data from 2020 and 2021, estimations for 2022 and forecast up to 2027.
- Market share in units for SWIR area imager manufacturers, ranking of line detector manufacturers.
Deliver an in-depth understanding of the SWIR imaging value chain, infrastructure, and players:
- Who are the industrial thermal sensor players, and where are they positioned?
- More generally, which are the key players to watch, and how will the thermal detection/imaging market evolve?
- Who are the industrial SWIR imager players and what are their positions?
- Which are the key players to watch and how might the SWIR market and industrial landscape change in the near future?
Offer technical insights into current and future technologies and challenges.
Provide market data on key SWIR imaging technologies including market metrics and dynamics:
- SWIR area imagers/cameras and line detectors/cameras in units and revenue split by market segment.
- Historical data from 2020 and 2021, estimations for 2022 and forecast up to 2027.
- Market share in units for SWIR area imager manufacturers, ranking of line detector manufacturers.

SWIR area imagers/cameras and line detectors/cameras in units and revenue split by market segment.
Historical data from 2020 and 2021, estimations for 2022 and forecast up to 2027.
Market share in units for SWIR area imager manufacturers, ranking of line detector manufacturers.
Deliver an in-depth understanding of the SWIR imaging value chain, infrastructure, and players:
- Who are the industrial thermal sensor players, and where are they positioned?
- More generally, which are the key players to watch, and how will the thermal detection/imaging market evolve?
- Who are the industrial SWIR imager players and what are their positions?
- Which are the key players to watch and how might the SWIR market and industrial landscape change in the near future?

Who are the industrial thermal sensor players, and where are they positioned?
More generally, which are the key players to watch, and how will the thermal detection/imaging market evolve?
Who are the industrial SWIR imager players and what are their positions?
Which are the key players to watch and how might the SWIR market and industrial landscape change in the near future?

Available on our Yole Group All-Inclusive Automotive Package

Do you have an account?

Search