SWIR Imaging 2023

About the authors

Companies cited

What we got right, what we got wrong

Why this report and report’s objective

Who should be interested in this report?

Three-page summary

Executive summary

Context

• Scope of the report
• Annex information

Market forecast

• Established markets
  • Imagers and cameras
  • Line detectors
• Emerging markets
  • Consumer market
  • Automotive market
• Market forecast – synthesis

Market trends

• Market trends in defense
  • SWIR’s main applications: target designation and surveillance
  • Integration of SWIR cameras
  • High-end targeting pods
  • Strategic map: 2022 update
  • Market trends in law enforcement
• Market trends in industry
  • Overview of the industry segment by application
  • TAM and growth potential for: laser profiling, Li-ion battery inspection, solar cell inspection, optical sorting and semiconductor manufacturing, content inspection, crop monitoring,
  • TAM and growth potential for: commercial drones, heavy duty trucks, thermal monitoring
• Trends towards consumer:
  • Potential use cases for SWIR
  • Apple’s appeal for SWIR wavelength
  • iPhone proximity sensor: under-display integration
  • Few thoughts on proximity sensors in Apple phones
  • Will SWIR help under-display integration?
  • Transitioning from NIR components to SWIR components
  • Will SWIR cameras help to bring headsets to outdoor environments?
  • What about multispectral imaging?
  • Risks regarding the adoption of SWIR imaging in consumer applications
  • SWOT and roadmap
  • Technology compatibility
• Trends towards automotive:
  • Interest in SWIR in automotive sensing
  • SWIR 2D and 3D gated imaging
  • 3D gated imaging: SWIR vs. NIR
  • SWIR in automotive LiDAR applications is a long-term perspective
  • SWIR for flash LiDAR – a long-term perspective
  • SWIR gated imaging in ADAS technological landscape
  • Evaluation of SWIR for in-cabin imaging
  • The ADAS and DMS ecosystem; a target for SWIR imager IDMs
  • Technology compatibility
• Market trend - synthesis

Market share and supply chain:

• SWIR Imager Manufacturers
  • Players world map, players by market, players by technology
  • Imager market – Market share in 2022
  • Breakdown of volumes by player and dynamnics
  • Line detectors – Player ranking
  • Legacy players: InGaAs
  • Quantum dots ecosystem
  • Single-pixel SWIR sensors
• SWIR cameras, optics and light-source manufacturers
  • Camera maakers
  • Equipment, optics and foundry services
  • SWIR light-source ecosystem
  • Who works with who?
  • Camera integrators using Sony SWIR image sensors
• Position of the CIS industry regarding SWIR technologies
• Noteworthy news
• Market share and supply chain - synthesis

Technology trends

• Pixel pitch and resolution by player
• Breakdown by resolution and material on existing markets
• SWIR imager technologies
  • InGaAs imagers
  • Quantum dot imagers
  • Germanium-based imagers
  • Organic Photodetector (OPD) technology Photodetector architectures and structures
• Photodetector architectures: PIN, APD, and SPAD 
• Lenses, filter and illumination sources
• Technology trends – synthesis

Conclusion and outlook

Yole Group of Companies – Related reports

How can our data be used?

A possible market disruption

In 2022, Short Wave Infra Red (SWIR) imaging was still a niche industry with 11,740 units sold globally.

The Industrial segment is expected to have a 28% Compound Annual Growth Rate from 2022-2028 (CAGR22-28), from $89M in 2022 to $395M in 2028, powered by steady demand and price reductions.

The Defense segment will experience higher growth than expected, reaching $405M in 2028 from $228M in 2022, pulled by geopolitical tensions such as the Ukraine war and tensions around Taiwan, and an increasing number of countries becoming interested in SWIR technologies.

From 2026, SWIR can start replacing Near Infra Red (NIR) imagers in flagship smartphones for under-display integration of facial recognition modules. This will drive a $2,074M market by 2028 considering complete 3D-sensing modules. Beyond 2028, SWIR can be integrated in lower-end smartphones and Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) headsets for good performance of tracking, 3D-sensing, or even multispectral imaging in outdoor conditions.

SWIR in Automotive will be driven by Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), where SWIR provides both vision capability in low light and harsh conditions and 3D-sensing capability. The market could reach $19M by 2028.

SWIR ecosystem is waiting for game changers

Defense-oriented players lead the SWIR imaging industry supplying high-end products. SCD is the leader followed by Sensors Unlimited and Teledyne FLIR. Many smaller players have significant growth potential like Sony or companies making quantum-dot based cameras, such as SWIR Vision Systems and Emberion, which have a price advantage on high-resolution and extended spectral range products.

Newcomers bring new disruptive technologies like STMicroelectronics, TriEye or Artilux, for example, to address consumer or automotive markets.

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor suppliers can be game changers due to their high-volume production capacity, and their unique design and integration know-how. However, among them, only Sony and STMicroelectronics have already developed SWIR imaging technologies even though others may show signs of interest, such as Samsung or Omnivision.

The SWIR ecosystem waits for greater interest from these players to accelerate technological and market disruption.

A profusion of new technologies towards efficient and low-cost imaging systems

Several emerging technologies compete to reach cost and performance requirement of consumer and automotive markets. Each one has its own challenges that will need to be faced to make the disruption.

Quantum dots appear to be the most well-positioned technology for potential integration in consumer devices at the moment. But they still contain lead and show weaknesses on robustness and response time. Organic photodiodes are less mature, but they could solve some of these issues of quantum dots.

Germanium-based technology is better positioned to be integrated in robots or cars but still suffer from too much dark current and noise, requiring powerful light sources to compensate these issues.

To conquer mass markets, the SWIR ecosystem needs to not only develop new imager technologies, but also compatible optics, software and light sources. Progress is ongoing with recent advances in meta-optics and InP lasers for example.

Adasky, Aixtron, Alkeria, Allied Vision, ams-OSRAM, Apple, Artilux, Artray, Aselsan, Attollo Engineering, Aval Global, B.E Meyers & Co., BAE Systems, BaySpec, BMW, Bright Way Vision, Bühler, Chromasens, Chunghwa Telecom, Chungwha Leading Photonics, Cmicro, Continental, DAPA, DARPA, Deptrum, Device ALab, DGA, Edmund Optics, Effilux, EHD imaging, Elbit Systems, Emberion, EVG, First Light Imaging, EYE4NIR, Framos, Ghopto, GigaDevice, Hamamatsu, Hansol Chemical, Headwall Photonics, Hikvision, Hoya, Hyspex, i3system, IDF, II-VI, IMEC, Intel Capital, Jabil, Kenko Tokina, Lockheed Martin, Lucid Vision labs, Lumentum, Luminar, Lynred, Marktech Optoelectronics, Mercedes-Benz, Metalenz, Metaphase Technologies, Microsoft, Mikro-Tasarim, Najing Technology Co., Nanoco Technologies, Nanosys, NASA, Navitar, New Imaging Technologies, Norcon Technologies Holding,  Omnivision, Pellenc ST, Photonis Technologies, Porsche, Princeton Infrared Technologies, Quantum solutions, Qurv, Rafael, Raptor Photonics, Raytheon Technologies, Resonon, Rockley Photonics, Safran, Samsung, SCD - SemiConductor Devices, Schott, Sensor Unlimited, SET - Smart Equipment Techology, Shvabe, Silent Sentinel, Silios Technologies, SOITEC, Sony, Specim, STMicroelectronics, Süss MicroTec, SWIR Vision Systems, Teledyne DALSA, Teledyne FLIR, Thales, Thorlabs, Tokyo Electron, TOMRA, Tower Semiconductor, TriEye, Trinamix, TSMC, Ushio, Veoneer, Vision Datum, Vision Sensing, Xenics and more.

Key Features

• 2021-2028 forecast for existing markets: defense and industry (units, $M)
• 2021-2028 forecast for emerging markets: consumer automotive (Munits, $M)
• Mapping of existing and potential applications with growth potentials.
• Market share and supply chain including legacy and emerging players.
• Technology compatibility with emerging applications. Technology roadmap including InGaAs, Quantum dots, Organic and Germanium-based technologies.

What’s new?

Apple now integrates SWIR single-pixel components in consumer devices. Deeper insight in emerging technologies and compatibility with mass markets.

Product's objectives

• The SWIR imaging industry has not changed significantly since 2022. The main notable news comes from sensing applications; Apple has started integrating SWIR single-pixel sensors in its latest Airpods 3 and the proximity sensor of the iPhone 14 Pro. Such devices are for basic sensing only and cannot perform imaging (<50x50 resolution).
• This report aims to provide more detailed information about applications and competing emerging technologies.
• We have improved our mapping accuracy for the industrial market to more clearly show the growth potential associated with each application and the potential advantage that SWIR wavelength technology could provide. We have also provided more exhaustive information on potential uses of SWIR in consumer and automotive markets, outlining challenges linked to the use of SWIR technology.
• Through these new additions, we aim to contribute to market education surrounding SWIR wavelengths and potentially inspire readers to promote new applications showing the advantages of SWIR wavelength imaging.
• We have analyzed in more detail both Germanium-based and organic technologies. We have also further explored the compatibility of each technology with different component architectures such as APD, SPAD, and PIN.