Initial offering of 90nm CMOS technology will enable the unique design requirements of advanced ROICs in aerospace and defense, automotive and beyond
Thermal cameras market projected to grow to $9B in 2029 according to Yole report
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – January 15, 2025 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced the launch of ThermaView℠ Solutions, a complete suite of services and technologies designed to meet the evolving needs of thermal imaging system designers. These solutions will deliver capabilities to support development and production of state-of-the-art, large-format focal plane arrays for aerospace and defense as well as broad-market industrial and automotive designs. A focal plane array, at the heart of thermal imaging cameras, captures thermal radiation and converts it into electrical signals to form an image.
SkyWater’s ThermaView technology offerings will span CMOS platforms for cooled and uncooled read-out ICs (ROICs), while also supporting microbolometer technologies in uncooled thermal imaging applications. By addressing the unique requirements of these markets, SkyWater continues to drive innovation and provide tailored U.S.-based solutions that empower customers to achieve their design and performance goals across diverse thermal imaging systems.
The initial ThermaView platform offering will be SkyWater’s recently qualified 90nm CMOS process. Referred to as S90LN, the ROIC-centric platform provides industry-leading low noise performance with process design kit (PDK) enabled support for large format die. S90LN is the most advanced domestic semiconductor platform specifically tailored for ROIC applications, enabling high-density routing technology to increase pixel density for high-resolution designs. Furthermore, ROIC chips made on SkyWater’s S90LN technology have been thoroughly characterized and are suited to perform reliably in extreme conditions and withstand significant radiation effects encountered in high altitude and space applications.
Thermal imaging camera systems are used across a wide range of applications including defense targeting systems, threat detection and various low-light imaging systems as well as for industrial surveillance, autonomous vision systems and factory process monitoring. ThermaView ROICs are bonded to focal plane arrays, providing conditioning of focal plane array signals and offering unique features which enable multi-spectral imager systems to perform with higher resolution, higher-dynamic range and increased sensitivity. These features address a range of specific needs across various industries to meet the growing demands of the thermal cameras market, which is projected to be $9 billion by 2029, according to a “Thermal Imaging and Sensing 2024” report by Yole Intelligence.
High-density routing technology, a key enabling feature of SkyWater’s S90LN platform, maximizes pixel density with two local interconnect layers enabling short, efficient connections between transistors that perform like an additional routing layer, without the need for vias. The platform enables designers to pack as many features as possible into each pixel, allowing up to 15% area improvement in chip density as compared to 90 nm technology with a conventional contact layer.
“We recognize the importance of supporting our warfighters and the wider industrial focal plane array community,” said Ross Miller, SVP of Commercial and A&D business. “With ThermaView, we’re demonstrating our commitment to meet the particular needs of ROICs today, while anticipating the needs of this market tomorrow. Our solutions come with a reliable supply chain that ensures long-term availability, empowering our partners to confidently develop the next generation of thermal imaging systems.”
Commenting on the announcement, Pat Richardson, engineering director at Raytheon Vision Systems (RVS), an RTX business and SkyWater customer, said, “SkyWater has been working to mature its process to meet our challenging requirements. Their dedication to pioneering innovative solutions underscores their focus on meeting industry demands and ensuring reliability in our systems.”
As a DMEA-accredited Category 1A Trusted Supplier, SkyWater provides ThermaView ROIC solutions to meet the unique requirements of the aerospace and defense sector, addressing a critical need of the defense industrial base for domestically sourced solutions. Furthermore, SkyWater’s existing IATF16949 automotive certification offers a strong foundation for production support in the growing automotive and industrial markets.
The S90LN PDK is available now. For more technical details and other information on how SkyWater is driving domestic thermal imaging systems with innovative ROIC solutions, please visit www.skywatertechnology.com/thermaview-roic or contact sales@skywatertechnology.com.
About SkyWater Technology
SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturer and a DMEA-accredited Category 1A Trusted Supplier. SkyWater’s Technology as a Service model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and heterogeneous integration solutions in its U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology within diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, read-out ICs, rad-hard ICs, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics and advanced packaging. SkyWater serves the growing markets of aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, industrial and quantum computing. For more information, visit www.skywatertechnology.com/.
SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC,which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | 952.851.5023 | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | 949.280.5602 | lauri.julian@skywatertechnology.com
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