The very first LC catalogue from 1983 shows the basic structure of IR detectors that is still valid today: the focus is on single detectors; both thermal and semiconductor detectors are available.
Detectors Just How You Like Them!
We maintain the best contact with our manufacturing partners and are particularly proud of the relationships we have cultivated since the foundation of the company. The ideal technology for your application is selected, have a look for yourself!
Thermopiles – Dexter Research Center
Founder, Bob Toth’s innovation – depositing the materials that have been preferred for thermopiles since Goethe’s time (bismuth and antimony) in an overlapping manner – led to the foundation of the Dexter Research Center (DRC) in 1977. Together with the corresponding substrate materials and black absorbing layers, the classic M1 and M2 miniature thermopiles (still produced today as they were back then) were developed. The guaranteed D* value of 1.9x108 with an argon gas interior and 4.5x108 in the highly-sensitive but slower version with a xenon gas interior is still a milestone. The current innovative focus is high-quality digital thermopiles with integrated ASIC.
Semiconductor Detectors – Teledyne Judson
The first LC complete catalogue listed IR semiconductor detectors from Judson. The focus here was on Ge photodiodes. In addition, InSb photodiodes, InAs photodiodes, and HgCdTe photoresistors were available. In the 1990s InGaAs and extended InGaAs photodiodes gained increasing importance due to their low noise properties.
In those years, Dragan Grubisic (now of LASER COMPONENTS DG) headed an R&D team from Judson that pioneered research in the field of NIR detectors for measurement technology and created a range of products with sensitivities of up to 2.6 µm. It was this long-wave version in particular that was first responsible for the rapid growth of FT NIR devices. In the past few years, HgCdTe photoresistors have been increasingly replaced by HgCdTe photodiodes.
PbS/PbSe Photoresistors – CAL Sensors
CAL Sensors was founded in Santa Rosa, California, in 1986 by a group of three to manufacture PbS and PbSe photoresistors. Bob McLean, an “infrared institution”, was one of the CAL founders. In the 1950s, he developed a fundamental patent on PbSe detector technology together with colleagues.
The original PbS detectors, which are sensitive between 1 and 3.3 µm, have a good cost-performance ratio and are favoured when large sensitive areas are required.
PbSe has a large detection range between 1 and 5µm and performs best at room temperature. CAL is currently working on multicolour detectors in planar configuration and on the third generation of self-scanning arrays.
Avalanche Photodiodes - LASER COMPONENTS Detector Group
Last but not least: InGaAs APDs have been part of LC’s product range since the early ‘90s.
These detectors are manufactured by LASER COMPONENTS DG (LCDG) in Tempe, Arizona, which is headed by Dragan Grubisic. LCDG’s main task is the development and production of APDs – from the UV to the NIR, based on Si and InGaAs. The advantage of being located in the semiconductor centre of Tempe, Arizona, is being used to work on improving NIR photodiodes.
