SIEMENS has partnered with universities in Austria and German to develop organic photodiodes for industrial imaging applications.
According to Siemens, the organic photodiodes are very sensitive to infrared radiation with wavelengths of more than one micrometer. The detectors can be used in gas sensors, night vision systems and diagnostics, lowering costs.
Siemens researchers used nano-scale quantum dots to produce the diodes. The new organic photodiodes are based on plastics, making production cheaper when compared with crystalline gallium arsenide semiconductors.
Generally, organic photodiodes detect visible light, but can be used to detect infrared radiation with a wavelength of not more than about one micrometer. With the Siemens breakthrough, this range can be expanded to as much as two micrometers.