Ultralow-cost SWIR sensor using QD-based SWIR-to-visible up-conversion OLED

Ability to sense, absorb and work over a wide band of the light spectrum – across visible, near infrared (NIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR), has many valuable applications. For example, being able to sense light over a broad spectrum of light can increase the quality of images and our ability for night vision. Currently there are a number of low-cost silicon based image sensors that are routinely used in different kinds of consumer cameras but they can be used only as the visible image sensor. For highly specialized applications like military and space missions, there are extremely expensive Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) image sensors with SWIR wavelength sensitivity. Until now, therefore, the applications of these InGaAs SWIR image sensors have been severely limited due to not only the poor pixel resolution of less than 1 megapixel but also the formidable price of more than $ 10,000. The proposed SWIR sensor technology using the innovative infrared-to-visible up-conversion OLEDs will enable low-cost silicon based visible image sensors to extend their sensing capability to invisible SWIR wavelengths. As a result, the proposed unique SWIR sensor approach can realize significantly high- resolution (> 100 megapixels) SWIR imaging sensors even at incredibly low prices (<$500). Therefore, the high-resolution SWIR sensors we target to commercialize will be able to be applied easily to a variety of applications like digital cameras, smartphones, and smart glasses. During the proposed Phase I research, we will investigate the potential of the unique and innovative OLED-based SWIR sensor structure as the pre-investigation step of the phase II project to develop the actual SWIR sensor prototype.