idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
For a long time, hyperspectral imaging was considered complex and space-consuming. New technologies are, however, now paving the way for compact and efficient solutions. Interference filters that can be integrated directly into CMOS image sensors enable customized spectral analyses in the smallest of spaces. They thereby open up new application possibilities in environmental monitoring, agriculture and industrial quality assurance. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST will be providing an insight into this key optical-sensor technology on the Fraunhofer joint stand at this year’s LASER World of Photonics in Munich.
The focal point of the trade-fair presentation will be formed by high-precision interference filters, which are manufactured by means of state-of-the-art sputtering processes. These allow the realization of linearly variable filters with an exceptionally wide spectral bandwidth as well as pixel-precise structured filter stacks for specific wavelength ranges – from the visible (VIS) through to the near-infrared (NIR) range. At the Fraunhofer IST, ultra-modern systems, such as the EOSS® sputtering platform (Enhanced Optical Sputtering System), are available for this purpose. The high level of precision in the filter production allows customized spectral selection directly on the camera chip - without any need for complex optical setups.
Through the elimination of external filter units, significant reductions in the size, weight and cost of the systems are achieved – a decisive advantage for mobile use, for example. The procedure can be used wherever compact spectroscopy instruments are required. Interference filters produced by means of the sputtering process are already being used successfully in hyperspectral imaging, for example in environmental analysis for the monitoring of pollutants or in agriculture for verifying the condition of plants. Furthermore, the integration of the filters into existing systems is uncomplicated, as no complex integration processes are necessary.
In the future, further fields of application will arise in the context of satellite-based remote sensing, climate research and environmental monitoring. Systems that – depending on the detector – cover the entire spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) through to mid-infrared (MIR) are also prospectively conceivable.
Visit the Fraunhofer IST at LASER 2025 on the Fraunhofer joint stand in Hall A2, Stand 415 and discover more about the next generation of optical-filter technology.
https://www.ist.fraunhofer.de/en/press-media/2025/compact-hyperspectral-imaging-...
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students, all interested persons
Environment / ecology, Information technology, Materials sciences, Mechanical engineering, Physics / astronomy
transregional, national
Miscellaneous scientific news/publications, Transfer of Science or Research
English
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
