Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

This project aims to develop the enabling technologies for cost-effective batch fabrication and packaging of high-performance infrared sensors. Although infrared imaging was historically developed for military applications, the biggest opportunities for growth are now in commercial markets. The market for uncooled infrared imaging systems is currently estimated at 350 000 units and expected to grow to nearly 1.2 million units by 2016. Infrared imaging is recognized as an important green technology because of its numerous applications in environmental monitoring, thermography, process control, and inspection and maintenance of industrial equipment. Commercial vision applications include surveillance, automotive and maritime safety, and fire-fighting. The proposed project represents an important opportunity for Canada to contribute to these areas of growing importance worldwide.The main technical hurdles addressed in this project include the development wafer-level vacuum packaging, low-temperature 3D-integration with electronics, cost-efficient deposition of high quality temperature sensitive thin-film structures, and multi-physics modeling. We have assembled an outstanding team of university researchers and industry developers. Leveraging the resources of the partner universities, the Université de Sherbrooke and the École Polytechnique de Montréal, with industrial partners Teledyne DALSA, SPTS Technology, and the newly established MiQro Innovation Collaborative Center (C2MI) in Bromont (Québec), we will develop a novel approach for the cost-effective wafer-level fabrication and packaging of high-performance infrared imaging sensors. The proposed project will not only exploit the world-class facilities of C2MI for developing the infrared sensor, it will also contribute a wide range of new processes and know-how, notably in the high-demand areas of 3D semiconductor integration and packaging.