imec - Large-area Optical Sensors

Arrays of photosensitive pixels distributed over large areas are crucial for important applications such as:

• x-ray detectors (radiology, mammography)
• fingerprint scanners (biometrics)
• curved imagers (inspection)

Such arrays are constituted of two components:

1. The thin-film photodetector (TFPD) frontplane ensures the selection of the most appropriate sensor, with organic, quantum dot and perovskite absorbers to choose from.
2. The thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane enables large sensing areas, flexibility and even transparency, with the manufacturing process compatible with flat-panel display (FPD) industry.

Imec specializes in the development of new photodetectors, design of readout backplanes and integration of the two.

Over the years, we have demonstrated proof-of-concept devices showing different modalities of large-area image sensors.

• Take a look at this video and this video about our award-winning fingerprint sensor concept.
• Read the press release about PYCSEL, a European-funded project to develop he world`s first fingerprint sensor that combines printed pyroelectric PVDF-based layers above an IGZO-TFT active matrix on a flexible plastic foil.
• Visit the website of NEXIS, a Horizon 2020-project that looks into next-generation X-ray imaging systems