Development of Infrared Sensor Capable of Detecting Wavelengths 1.55–3μm at Room Temperature: Expected to Expand into Home, Medical, Environmental, and Food Industries
Nagoya University, NEC, and AIST have co-developed a compact GeSn infrared sensor capable of detecting 1.55μm to 3μm wavelengths at room temperature. The technology eliminates the need for cooling systems and reduces costs, promising widespread use in gas detection and healthcare.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 09:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 27, 2026 at 09:33 (168h 1m after Collected)
### Key Points of the Research
- Developed a compact sensor capable of detecting infrared light up to the 3μm band at room temperature—a feat previously difficult to achieve—by combining electrodes that offer both high transparency and conductivity in the near-to-mid-infrared range with semiconductor materials that efficiently absorb infrared rays.
- Succeeded in the high-quality crystal growth of a p-type GeSn layer containing 13.6% Tin (Sn), exceeding the equilibrium solid solubility limit on a Germanium (Ge) substrate, thereby achieving sensitivity in the 3μm wavelength band.
- This compact sensor (photodiode) can detect infrared light from telecommunication wavelengths (around 1.55μm) to near 3μm with a single element. It is expected to be applied in a wide range of fields, including gas detection, environmental monitoring, healthcare (breath analysis), quality control for food and pharmaceuticals, industrial process monitoring, infrared imaging, and spectroscopic sensing for security.
### Research Overview
A joint research group led by Professor Osamu Nakatsuka and Assistant Professor Shigehisa Shibayama of the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University, along with Dr. Tomo Tanaka of NEC Corporation, and Dr. Tatsuo Maeda and Dr. Rahmat Hadi Saputro of the Advanced Semiconductor Research Center at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), has developed a new Germanium-Tin (GeSn)/Germanium (Ge) junction infrared sensor compatible with Silicon integrated circuit process technology.
The prototype sensor achieved detection up to the 3μm band at room temperature by combining iTCO (infrared-transparent conductive oxide) electrodes with GeSn material. Utilizing a low-temperature MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) method developed at Nagoya University, they achieved high-quality epitaxial growth of a p-type GeSn mixed crystal layer with a high Sn composition of 13.6%. Evaluations of the iTCO/p-type GeSn/n-type Ge photodiode fabricated at AIST demonstrated that a single element can cover wavelengths from 1.55μm to 3μm.
The results will be presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) on May 20, 2026.
### Background and Content
Light near 3μm, known as 'mid-infrared,' is in a region where molecular characteristics (molecular fingerprints) can be identified, such as greenhouse gases like methane, molecules in human breath, and differences in food and medicine quality. Methane (CH4), for instance, has strong absorption at 3.3μm, making it vital for leak monitoring.
Existing high-sensitivity sensors in this range require cooling, making them bulky and expensive. Standard InGaAs sensors have a main range up to ~1.67μm, with advanced versions capping at ~2.6μm. This left a gap in the 2.6–3.3μm range that needed a compact, low-cost solution operable at room temperature.
The newly developed device has two major advantages:
1. It can operate at room temperature.
2. It can be manufactured using standard semiconductor processes, making it suitable for mass production.
These features establish the foundation for the widespread adoption of mid-infrared sensing in daily life scenarios, such as in homes, healthcare, environmental monitoring, and the food industry.
- Developed a compact sensor capable of detecting infrared light up to the 3μm band at room temperature—a feat previously difficult to achieve—by combining electrodes that offer both high transparency and conductivity in the near-to-mid-infrared range with semiconductor materials that efficiently absorb infrared rays.
- Succeeded in the high-quality crystal growth of a p-type GeSn layer containing 13.6% Tin (Sn), exceeding the equilibrium solid solubility limit on a Germanium (Ge) substrate, thereby achieving sensitivity in the 3μm wavelength band.
- This compact sensor (photodiode) can detect infrared light from telecommunication wavelengths (around 1.55μm) to near 3μm with a single element. It is expected to be applied in a wide range of fields, including gas detection, environmental monitoring, healthcare (breath analysis), quality control for food and pharmaceuticals, industrial process monitoring, infrared imaging, and spectroscopic sensing for security.
### Research Overview
A joint research group led by Professor Osamu Nakatsuka and Assistant Professor Shigehisa Shibayama of the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University, along with Dr. Tomo Tanaka of NEC Corporation, and Dr. Tatsuo Maeda and Dr. Rahmat Hadi Saputro of the Advanced Semiconductor Research Center at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), has developed a new Germanium-Tin (GeSn)/Germanium (Ge) junction infrared sensor compatible with Silicon integrated circuit process technology.
The prototype sensor achieved detection up to the 3μm band at room temperature by combining iTCO (infrared-transparent conductive oxide) electrodes with GeSn material. Utilizing a low-temperature MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) method developed at Nagoya University, they achieved high-quality epitaxial growth of a p-type GeSn mixed crystal layer with a high Sn composition of 13.6%. Evaluations of the iTCO/p-type GeSn/n-type Ge photodiode fabricated at AIST demonstrated that a single element can cover wavelengths from 1.55μm to 3μm.
The results will be presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) on May 20, 2026.
### Background and Content
Light near 3μm, known as 'mid-infrared,' is in a region where molecular characteristics (molecular fingerprints) can be identified, such as greenhouse gases like methane, molecules in human breath, and differences in food and medicine quality. Methane (CH4), for instance, has strong absorption at 3.3μm, making it vital for leak monitoring.
Existing high-sensitivity sensors in this range require cooling, making them bulky and expensive. Standard InGaAs sensors have a main range up to ~1.67μm, with advanced versions capping at ~2.6μm. This left a gap in the 2.6–3.3μm range that needed a compact, low-cost solution operable at room temperature.
The newly developed device has two major advantages:
1. It can operate at room temperature.
2. It can be manufactured using standard semiconductor processes, making it suitable for mass production.
These features establish the foundation for the widespread adoption of mid-infrared sensing in daily life scenarios, such as in homes, healthcare, environmental monitoring, and the food industry.
FAQ
今回開発された赤外光センサーの最大の特徴は何ですか？
室温で動作可能であり、かつ一つの素子で通信波長（1.55μm）から中赤外域（3μm付近）までの幅広い波長を検出できる点です。従来のセンサーで必要だった冷却装置が不要なため、小型・低コスト化が可能です。
この技術にはどのような材料が使用されていますか？
シリコン集積回路プロセスと相性の良いゲルマニウム錫（GeSn）とゲルマニウム（Ge）の接合材料、および赤外光を透過しつつ導電性を持つiTCO（infrared-transparent conductive oxide）電極が使用されています。
3μm帯の赤外光を検知できると、どのような利点がありますか？
3μm付近は「分子の指紋」と呼ばれる領域で、メタンなどの温室効果ガスや、呼気に含まれる分子、食品・医薬品の品質の違いを識別できるため、環境モニタリングやヘルスケアへの応用が期待できます。
これまでのセンサー技術との違いは何ですか？
主流のInGaAsセンサーは検出波長が〜2.6μmまでが上限でしたが、本技術は2.6〜3.3μmの「すき間」を室温で埋めることができます。また、一般的な半導体プロセスで製造可能なため、量産にも向いています。
この研究成果はいつ、どこで発表されますか？
2026年5月20日（現地時間）に開催される国際会議「Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO)」において講演発表されます。