Making the Invisible Visible: IR:6 Sets New Standards in Infrared Technology
Infrared light, though invisible to the human eye, is crucial for many modern technologies. IR:6 introduces a true innovation that enhances performance, efficiency, and image quality in applications such as facial recognition, smart sensors, and energy-efficient systems.
Modern technologies require powerful light sources, even those we cannot see. IR:6 delivers more brightness, lower energy consumption, and improved image quality. Its optimized LED architecture and additional 920nm technology set new benchmarks in terms of range and reliability, especially in security-critical applications.
IR:6 is more than just an upgrade; it offers tangible improvements across various fields. Sharper images, longer battery life, and optimized sensor technology are just a few benefits. IR LEDs powered by IR:6 produce brighter, clearer images, enabling accurate facial recognition and enhancing security systems. This results in sharper surveillance footage and more reliable object detection, even in low-light conditions.
Efficiency is key to sustainable technology. With reduced power consumption, IR:6 significantly extends the battery life of portable devices, benefiting wearables, laptops, and smart security systems. The new 920nm technology ensures an optimized balance between range and image quality, allowing infrared cameras to capture finer contrasts and details, reduce unwanted reflections, and improve the reliability of security and identification systems.

Applications of IR:6
Infrared technology is present in more applications than many realize, and IR:6 enhances these applications, making them more reliable, efficient, and precise. For example, in biometric security, IR:6 enables faster and more precise facial recognition in laptops, smartphones, and access control systems, ensuring smooth and secure authentication. Smart surveillance cameras benefit from higher image quality, providing better visibility and more detailed recordings, enhancing overall security. Other security applications include, for example, long-distance CCTV, mid-to-short distance CCTV, people counting, smart doorbells, home CCTV, and baby monitoring.
Wearables and health tracking devices deliver more accurate measurements, improving health monitoring and fitness tracking and supporting vein and fingerprint recognition, 2D facial recognition, high-power eye tracking, and augmented reality. For industrial applications, like robotics and automation, improved infrared technology enhances object detection, which is essential for smart manufacturing and autonomous systems, leading to more efficient and reliable operations. IR:6 is beneficial in robotics, machine vision, traffic control, and automated number plate recognition. The automotive industry benefits from enhanced driver assistance and night vision cameras, ensuring clear visibility even in darkness, thus enhancing driver safety.

Technology and Customer Requirements
Benefit from decades of technological innovation from an industry leader, ams OSRAM. Our stack technology places two P/N junctions in series within one chip to achieve an optical output power increase of almost 180% compared to a single stack chip. Although the operating voltage of stacked LEDs is higher, they come with several advantages: space saving and lower system cost due to fewer components, higher radiant flux and output power, and the ability to illuminate greater distances.
Continuous improvement is evident in our thin-film chip technology. Virtually all infrared-emitting LEDs in our portfolio have several generations of thin-film chips inside, steadily increasing performance. Radiation is generated within a film of 10μm thickness, improving efficiency due to reduced absorption behavior. Backwards emitted light is reflected by a metal mirror layer, and improved extraction of radiation is achieved as the angles of internal reflection are randomized by a textured surface. Due to these benefits, a thin-film emitter has roughly 300% higher emission as compared to a standard volume emitter.
IR:6 technology also includes material improvements. The new internal reflector reduces optical losses in the die while increasing radiant intensity. Improved roughening of the chip’s surface optimizes decoupling efficiency, resulting in the narrower distribution of light output. Additionally, the design of the new n contact (bond pad) is more centered on the chip surface, resulting in the better spread of electric current across the device and producing a lower forward voltage.
Light source requirements vary for different infrared illumination applications. Shorter distance illumination applications mainly illuminate a smaller area with a smaller field of view, while mid-to-long distance illumination typically requires a narrower field of view to illuminate a larger area. The ams OSRAM portfolio offers a variety of options for output power classes and viewing angles to meet application-specific requirements. For example, 850nm is ideal for machine vision or outdoor CCTV applications, offering high sensitivity for imaging but barely visible to humans. 940nm is a good choice for facial recognition or eye-tracking solutions, virtually invisible to the human eye with a slight red glow. 920nm enables a necessary trade-off between sensor sensitivity and red glow.

Various application fields with IR:6 technology
ams OSRAM offers a range of products with IR:6 technology, each designed to meet specific application requirements:

• The OSLON® Black series provides great variety and power options, making it suitable for different needs in the in-cabin applications for automotive or security applications for industry and consumers.
• The OSLON® P1616 is a top performer with a superior package size to performance ratio, combining a compact footprint with high power emission.
• The SYNIOS® P2720 with lens combines compact footprint with high power and can be used for access control and biometric applications.

With IR:6, ams OSRAM proves that innovation is its driving force. This chip not only makes existing technologies more powerful, but also more sustainable. Customers benefit from lower operating costs, higher efficiency, and new application possibilities, while ams OSRAM strengthens its leading position in infrared technology. More power, less consumption – a win-win situation for both the company and the environment!

(Photo credit: ams OSRAM)

TrendForce 2025 Infrared Sensing Application Market and Branding Strategies
Release: 01 January 2025
Format: PDF / EXCEL
Language: Traditional Chinese / English
Page: 196