Fujitsu has announced the development of a world-leading, high-sensitivity and high-resolution infrared sensor to expand monitoring capabilities in the domains of defense and disaster prevention. This sensor is a Type II superlattice infrared sensor (T2SL) with more than 1 million pixels, capable of detecting both mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) radiation. Its high sensitivity allows it to clearly capture thermal differences as small as 0.05 °C or less, enabling high-precision monitoring day and night. This dual-band MWIR-LWIR T2SL infrared sensor with over 1 megapixel is the first of its kind in the world.
The newly developed technology offers notably improved detection and identification performance, with applications across a wide range of fields. For example, when applied to optical sensor systems mounted on satellites or aircraft, it can contribute to creating new value in multiple domains, such as early disaster assessment and environmental monitoring.
The integration of this sensor into monitoring devices for defense and disaster prevention enables precise detection of thermal changes, such as identifying signs of human activity or movement of objects, the location of people in emergencies, early detection of forest fires, and the monitoring of tsunamis.
This contributes to improving information-gathering capabilities and strengthening defense and disaster prevention. In addition, by visualizing the thermal distribution and its evolution over time with exceptional precision, the sensor is expected to play a key role in addressing societal challenges such as infrastructure inspection or issues related to analytical equipment, while driving advances in scientific research.
This technology has been developed under contract as part of the research prototype project “PROTOTYPE OF WIDE BAND AND HIGH RESPONSIVITY PHOTO-DETECTORS” by the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), part of Japan’s Ministry of Defense, to which Fujitsu has delivered the prototype sensor.
Starting in fiscal year 2026, Fujitsu plans to leverage the sensor’s manufacturing technology to develop new products and market them for use in monitoring cameras.
Background
In the security sector, which underpins a safe and protected society, there is a growing demand for advanced detection technologies capable of identifying diverse threats early and accurately capturing their signs. However, with the diversification of monitoring scenarios and the increasing complexity of targets, higher-resolution sensors and enhanced identification capabilities achieved through simultaneous detection of multiple wavelengths are required.
ATLA launched a research prototype project to establish technology that enables detection and identification of targets at greater distances and across larger areas than current systems. Fujitsu, which has developed and mass-produced high-sensitivity infrared sensors, was awarded this project and has successfully completed its development.
Overview of the Developed Sensor
Infrared sensors detect infrared radiation naturally emitted by objects with temperature, allowing visualization of their surface temperature distribution. Fujitsu has leveraged the properties of T2SL, a compound semiconductor with a superlattice structure that allows control of material properties, to develop a unique dual-band sensor. The superlattice structure, in which different semiconductor materials are stacked at nanometer scale (one billionth of a meter), offers high sensitivity, as well as excellent control over the detected wavelengths and manufacturability.
By selecting a combination of semiconductor materials with a large energy offset in their band structure (that is, a Type II superlattice, T2SL), it is possible to detect infrared light, which has lower energy than visible light.
This sensor can detect MWIR and LWIR wavelength bands, with high sensitivity capable of identifying temperature differences of 0.05 °C or less. By detecting two wavelengths simultaneously with a single pixel, it enables precise identification of targets that would otherwise be obscured by background noise in single-band sensors. In addition, by advancing the miniaturization of components thanks to the development of manufacturing processes and encapsulation technologies suitable for the delicate T2SL materials, Fujitsu has achieved high resolution with more than 1 million pixels, enabling targets to be captured at greater distances.
This infrared sensor, which simultaneously combines high sensitivity, high resolution, and dual-band detection, is particularly well-suited for monitoring applications in defense, disaster prevention, and other areas that require high discrimination performance. Moreover, this pioneering Fujitsu technology is set to drive further advances in sensitivity, multi-band detection, and high resolution in conventional infrared sensors, enabling the development of a broad range of new products.
