In 2017, world Commercial and Dual-Use Infrared Imaging markets continued the fourth straight year of record unit shipments. The number of uncooled detectors increased by over 30% to reach nearly 1.3 million units. However, severe price reductions have resulted in revenue growth of only 11% - for a total commercial and dual-use market (cooled and uncooled) of $3.8 billion.
L3 Technologies is making changes to its uncooled amorphous silicon (a-SI) microbolometer business. The company’s L3 Sensor Technologies (formerly L3 Infrared Products in Garland, Texas) is moving its front-end production of FPAs to TSI Semiconductors (Roseville, California), while vacuum Wafer-Level-Packaging (WLP) is being moved to Mason, Ohio. By the end of the year, the Garland facility is expected to be shut down, with only design engineering remaining in the Dallas, Texas area.
Autoliv (Stockholm, Sweden) is spinning off its Electronics business to the new company Veoneer, Inc.
Galaxy Compound Semiconductors, Spokane, Washington, (a subsidiary of IQE) is taking advantage of process improvements in GaSb substrates for T2SL detectors (and also InSb substrates) and is now starting to also supply CZT (Cadmium Zinc Telluride) substrates for MCT FPAs.