The development of infrared technology was preceded by the development of infrared detectors. Since the mid-1960s, the development of infrared detectors and systems reflect the current state of infrared technology and the direction of development.
1. Detectors in the range of 1 to 14 microns have developed from unit to multiple, from multiple to focal plane array. Infrared detector is the earliest with a unit detector, in order to improve the sensitivity and resolution, and later developed into a multivariate line array detector. Multiple line detector successively swept (string sweep) the same target, it output signal-to-noise ratio can be higher than the unit detector n (open square) times, n is the number of elements. If the multiple line detector parallel sweep (flat sweep) target, you can get a one-dimensional distribution of the target radiation. Line detector-based infrared detection system, mostly installed in the aircraft or satellite remote sensing platform, the platform's forward motion perpendicular to the line column as the second dimension, you can get the distribution of target radiation image. Now, the infrared detector has been developed from multiple to focal plane array, the corresponding system has been realized from the point of detection to the target thermal imaging leap. Infrared thermal imager is one of the most promising devices, representing the development direction of night vision equipment, which replaces the optical machine scanning structure with a focal plane array. At present, long-wave mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) detector face array has reached 640 × 480 yuan, focal plane array detector laboratory level has reached 256 × 256 yuan, is expected to reach a million dollars in 2000.
2. Infrared detector operating band from the near infrared extended to the far infrared. Early infrared detectors usually work in the near infrared. With the development of infrared technology, infrared detectors have been extended to work in the mid-infrared and far-infrared band, for example, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency put forward a super-spectrum landmine detection program, the purpose is to provide a safe and effective way to detect landmines. The program uses the Space Modulated Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (SMIFTS), an infrared sensor, which has been tested on helicopters in the near and mid-wavelength bands, and the next step is planned to extend the working band to the far infrared. The far infrared has become the focus of scientists' attention.
3. Lightweight miniaturization. Non-cooling, integrated, large surface array infrared detector direction. The use of low-temperature refrigeration technology, is to improve the sensitivity of the infrared detector device and the signal-to-noise ratio of the output signal, so that it has good performance, but it also makes the infrared detector is large, high cost. In order to achieve miniaturization, it is necessary to reduce the refrigeration equipment and the related power supply, therefore, high-efficiency small coolers and infrared detectors without refrigeration will be the future direction of development. Such as the use of non-cooling work of infrared focal plane array technology, not only can make the system cost reduction of 2 orders of magnitude, but also can make the volume, weight and power consumption will also be greatly reduced. In addition, the use of materials electronic computers and microelectronics aspects of the latest technology, can make infrared detectors and data processing equipment with a certain data processing capabilities, so that its light integration, large surface array, focal plane direction to improve its performance, to achieve the detection of room temperature targets.
4. Infrared detection system from a single band to multi-band development. As mentioned earlier: in the atmospheric environment, the target's infrared radiation can only be in 1 ~ 3, 3 ~ 5 and 8 ~ 13 microns within the three atmospheric window to be effectively transmitted. If an infrared detection system can obtain target information in two or more bands, then the system can be more accurate and reliable to obtain more target information, improve the detection effect on the target, reduce the probability of false alarms of the early warning system, improve the system's search and tracking performance, apply more application requirements, and better meet the needs of the military services. At present, multi-band infrared detection system has been successfully developed, such as France and Sweden jointly developed Bonas end-sensitive submunitions, the use of multi-band infrared detection system to detect the target. Infrared camera industry is a very broad prospects for the development of emerging high-tech industries, but also infrared applications in the largest market share of a piece of the two areas in the military and civilian have a wide range of applications. Infrared thermal imaging camera in the modern war conditions of satellites, missiles, aircraft and other military weapons have been widely used. At the same time, with the production cost of uncooled infrared thermal imaging technology has been greatly reduced, the application of the product has been extended to the power, fire, industry, medical, security and other sectors of the national economy. In the past, the domestic market has been occupied by FLIR, FLUKE and other well-known foreign companies. However, in the last 10 years, this field has undergone a welcome change, the domestic infrared thermal imaging camera enterprises in product technology, performance and quality improvements, market share gradually expanding, the emergence of Dali Technology, Kunming Northern Infrared, Wuhan Gao De, SAT infrared and other well-known enterprises, after the development of the past few years, has been the accumulation of considerable technical strength.
Currently domestic products have been close to the performance and imported products, but the price of imported products is more than 50% higher than domestic products. With the expansion of infrared cameras in the fire, power, construction and other industries, the international civilian infrared camera industry has ushered in a period of rapid growth in market demand. 2004 global civilian infrared cameras and systems production of about 50,000 units, and in 2006, only FILR company has obtained BMW for its new 7 series cars equipped with infrared camera orders, and access to the U.S. government 350,000 units of export license applications. Global sales of civilian thermal imaging cameras in 2006 were $1.63 billion, an increase of 17.35% year-on-year.
According to Maxtech International, a leading U.S. high-tech industry consulting firm, the average annual growth rate of global civilian infrared camera market demand over the next five years will reach 15%, and by 2012, global civilian infrared camera market demand will reach $3.812 billion. Due to the rapid development of the domestic economy, the average annual growth rate of China's infrared camera market can reach 20%, and it is expected that the demand for China's civilian infrared camera market in 2011 can reach 995 million yuan. Take the United States as an example, in 2000, the U.S. infrared imaging and infrared temperature measurement system market sales totaled $1.82 billion, an increase of 3% over 1999, it is expected that by 2008, the total market sales will reach $2.82 billion, with a combined annual growth rate of 6.5%.
"China's infrared camera market is still in its infancy, and there is huge room for future development." Mr. Ni Guoqiang, executive director and secretary general of the Optical Society of China, said at the China Optoelectronics Industry High-Level Forum: In the military field of developed countries, infrared thermal imaging cameras have been very widely configured, for example, in the Gulf War, an average of each U.S. soldier was equipped with an infrared thermal imaging camera with 1.7. Compared with the developed countries, the application of infrared thermal imaging camera in our army is relatively small, and its market prospect demand is quite huge. With the development of high-performance multi-color infrared focal planes as well as intelligent and dexterous on-chip image-processing technology, it is expected that this ratio will continue to go high. With the Beijing Olympic Games, Shanghai World Expo, Guangzhou Asian Games and other large domestic events increase, the security requirements are becoming more and more stringent, more and more places need to be 24-hour continuous monitoring. Infrared in the night surveillance applications more prominent, not only vaults, oil depots, armories, book and document libraries, cultural relics departments, prisons and other important departments used, but also in the general monitoring system has also been widely used, and even residential neighborhood monitoring project also applies infrared cameras. Led the infrared camera market continues to heat up. According to a survey report in 2006, compared with the thermal imaging camera, infrared camera technology threshold is not high, most of the domestic market is currently occupied by domestic brands, foreign brands only occupy a portion of the high-end market. From the domestic distribution of infrared cameras, Shenzhen has the most, accounting for 64% of the total, and Dongguan, Zhejiang formed the three major industrial base in China.
China's infrared camera companies to production, trade-oriented, can not much independent innovation. Improvement of independent research and development capabilities in the future will be the main direction of development, the only way to expand globally and earn higher profits. Traditional infrared communication applications mainly in the remote control with home appliances and automobile anti-theft, due to modulation technology, the rapid development of related transceiver technology, infrared transmission applications have also undergone a qualitative leap. 1993 International Infrared Association was established in the United States, and actively integrate the establishment of infrared transmission standards, and greatly promote the development of infrared products.
In 2000, the world has 1.7 billion units with the International Infrared Association module of electronic products into the market, especially in the electronic game machine market has great potential. 2001, in the information transceiver module, due to the International Infrared Association module price has dropped from the early $5 to $2, the international manufacturers have been in the Asia-Pacific region to seek a number of relatively inexpensive labor place to process the site, it is estimated that the annual output value will be 100 million yuan. place, it is estimated that the annual output value will be more than 100 million U.S. dollars in scale, when some IC design companies, systems and application software vendors have been actively involved in the application of product research and production, and now has formed a certain scale.
The popularization of personal notebooks, PDAs, digital cameras and other products has led to the development of infrared transmission. The International Infrared Association in 1994 launched a 1.0 version of the infrared data exchange standards, the transmission speed of 115.2Kbps, the current maximum transmission speed maximum rate has reached more than 4Mbps. 2006, infrared wireless technology has a huge user base. At that time, infrared data communication technology (IRDA) already has 150 million sets of equipment installed each year, and it maintains a high growth rate of 40% per year. Netboat Consulting in the recently released "wireless short-range communication technology market research report" that the strong growth figures in the global manufacturers of infrared communication still hold an optimistic attitude, infrared communication technology has been supported by a large number of hardware and software vendors around the world and the adoption of the mainstream software and hardware platforms are currently providing support for it. In the cell phone market, the major mainstream manufacturers have long been in their products supporting infrared communication technology. From the current situation, infrared technology, whether from the application coverage, technology maturity and user acceptance, are in a leading position in all types of wireless communication technology.
In terms of the remote control market, market research firm Instat Inc. predicted that in 2005, the global application in the field of IrDA 8-bit controller unit shipments will reach 206 million, by 2009 will reach 373 million. According to reports, Zilog company since 1993 into the remote control market, product sales to more than 275 million, in 2004 the company delivered about 40 million pieces of IrDA-related chips. At present, the company's IrDA chip solution model has more than 12,000 kinds, the remote control brands served also more than 1,300 kinds of customers, including Philips, Samsung, Sony, Yamaha, Toshiba, Microsoft and so on. At present, the global universal infrared remote control market accounts for 70, 80% of the market share, especially in Europe and the United States market and so on. Infrared spectrometer is mainly used in the field of chemical and physical analysis, which can be applied in various physical and chemical laboratories, petroleum, agriculture, testing and other fields. According to the scope of application can be divided into general-purpose infrared spectrometer and special infrared spectrometer, according to the wavelength range can be divided into near-infrared spectrometer and far-infrared spectrometer, at present the near-infrared spectrometer. Modern near-infrared spectral analysis technology includes three parts: near-infrared spectrometer, chemometrics software and application model. Only the perfect combination of the three can achieve high performance requirements. At present, the development and application of near-infrared special spectroscopy instrument has been the attention of many experts in China, and has developed a number of instruments and application software adapted to domestic analytical objects. For example, a group of young scholars in the Chinese Academy of Petroleum Sciences, led by academician Lu Wanzhen, research and development of China's own intellectual property rights in the near-infrared spectroscopy instrument and its application in China's petroleum science in some of the software; to the Beijing Agricultural University, led by Prof. Yan Yanlu, "China's agricultural near-infrared analytical technology network system" has been completed, developed and developed with independent intellectual property rights in the near-infrared spectroscopy instrument and its application in China's petroleum science. Completed, research and development of independent intellectual property rights, applicable to China's agricultural quality analysis of the software; Professor Bingren Xiang in the China Pharmaceutical University Center for Analysis and Computing to establish the Internet near-infrared spectral analysis of virtual modeling center, near-infrared spectral analysis of the modeling and mathematical model maintenance and other work, and the establishment of a number of Chinese herbal medicines near-infrared analysis of the mathematical model.
In early '06, the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) ordered a total of more than 300 imported Fourier Transform Near Infrared Spectrometers (FTNIRS) through a bidding process. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) allocated *** 500 million RMB at that time, plus subsequent maintenance costs. If it can be realized domestically, a large amount of foreign exchange can be saved. China's current related enterprises are Juguang, Yingxian, Dalian Elite, East West Electronics, General Purpose Analyzer, etc., mainly low-end products, high-end products can not compete with foreign countries.
Domestic general-purpose infrared spectrometer FT-IR is mainly the introduction of North Point Riley Analytical Instruments, Inc. of the United States Analect company's technology to produce a number of different models of different grades of products, but the amount of very little. Specialized infrared spectrometer, near-infrared spectroscopy, some special infrared spectrometer in the domestic potential market, mainly in agriculture in the quality analysis of agricultural products and petrochemical products in the production process of petroleum quality control and product quality analysis in a large market. However, due to the near infrared analysis needs to be introduced according to the object of analysis of some mathematical models, the analysis of different objects, the mathematical model is also different. Therefore, foreign near-infrared spectrometer with the analysis software (is based on foreign mathematical model of the object of analysis design), is not necessarily suitable for domestic analysis of the object, resulting in the introduction of some of the near-infrared spectroscopy in recent years in the country and did not play a large role in the introduction of some near-infrared spectroscopy, coupled with foreign near-infrared spectroscopy instruments and high prices, the domestic imports of near-infrared spectroscopy instruments and not much. In the realization of long-distance temperature monitoring and control, infrared temperature sensor with its excellent performance, to meet the requirements of various aspects. In the product processing industry, especially the need for long-distance temperature monitoring occasions, are temperature sensors show their skills. In the food industry infrared temperature can be achieved without being contaminated food temperature records, so it is very popular. Fiber optic infrared sensors also have anti-magnetic and radio frequency interference characteristics, which for the portable infrared sensors in the automotive industry and opened up a new market.
With the widespread application of infrared temperature measurement technology, a new type of infrared technology - intelligent (Smart) digital infrared sensing technology is quietly emerging. This smart sensor built-in microprocessor, can realize the sensor and the control unit of the two-way communication, with miniaturization, digital communication, simple maintenance and other advantages. Currently, the sensor users have upgraded their control systems, intelligent infrared sensor demand will continue to grow, the market is not expected to reach saturation in the short term.
In addition, with the portable infrared sensors are getting smaller and smaller, the price is gradually reduced, in the food, heating and air conditioning and automotive and other fields also have new applications. For example, used in food roasters, barber hair dryers, infrared sensors to detect whether the temperature is too hot, so that the system to decide whether to carry out the next step of the operation, such as stopping the heating, or food from the oven automatically removed, or make the hair dryer to cool down and so on. Potential users of portable infrared temperature sensors are increasing as more users become aware of them.
The advantages of infrared temperature sensors in realizing long-distance temperature control and non-contact temperature measurement have led to a 10% annual growth in their production. Between 1996 and 1997, production grew from 155,000 to 230,000 units; total sales also grew from $230 million to $300 million. 2006, the market will reach $557.6 million in total sales, total production will exceed 489,000 units.
For the global market of infrared sensors, third world countries will be more optimistic than Europe and the United States. Although many industrial countries in Europe and the United States processing industry is extensive, but its market to saturation; and in China and Latin America, some emerging countries and regions, with its economic recovery and development, countries and regions have to strengthen the industrialization of the construction of processing plants are increasing, infrared sensors in the region's sales of the annual growth rate of 2% to 5%, and its market sales are still in the trend of growth.
[Impact]
The object that produces infrared radiation is the source of infrared radiation. Physics research tells us that in nature, any temperature higher than absolute zero (0 ° K or -273 ° C) of the object is radiating various wavelengths of infrared radiation, the higher the temperature of the object, the greater the intensity of its radiation infrared. We can use infrared technology to detect, track and identify targets during day and night to obtain target information based on the differences in radiation characteristics of various types of targets and backgrounds. In modern warfare, the advantage of obtaining battlefield information has become the key to master the initiative of war, infrared technology is one of the key technologies to obtain battlefield information from the air and space, therefore, many countries have invested a lot of manpower and material resources to study infrared technology, and will be widely used in the military field, and have a great impact.1. Become an important means of reconnaissance, surveillance, early warning and tracking of military targets. All military targets, such as ships in the ocean, ground forces operations and a variety of equipment, airplanes, missiles, are emitting heat, sending out a large amount of infrared radiation. The use of infrared technology equipment, from the air and space on these targets for reconnaissance, surveillance and tracking. Such as reconnaissance satellites rely on infrared imaging equipment and multi-spectral instrument can be day and night to obtain a large number of military intelligence. Fitted with infrared detectors missile warning satellites from the 1970s, has been monitoring the world's ballistic missile launches for the national and military command departments to provide alerts, such as the current U.S. defense support program in the early warning satellite in a few dozen seconds, you can identify the launch of incoming missiles and the direction of the U.S. It is said that the United States of America's future space-based infrared system can be in 20 seconds, to provide information on the launch of missiles and the direction of the precise It is said that in the future, the space-based infrared system of the United States will be able to provide precise information on the launch and direction of missiles within 20 seconds, thus providing valuable warning time for the interception of incoming missiles. For example, in the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. missile warning satellites had a clear view of all Iraqi missile launches, and then transmitted the relevant information to the U.S. Army's Patriot Missile Force in a timely manner, so that the Patriot missiles could effectively intercept Iraqi scuds