EETimes: France-based Ulis announced a 20M euros ($24M) investment in a new 200mm wafer fab near Grenoble, France, to penetrate emerging high volume markets such as automotive and low-resolution sensors. The initial capacity will be 200,000 units per annum. Ultimately, the capacity is expected to reach up to 1,500 units per annum.
Ulis uses amorphous silicon microbolometer technology (aSi). For the first time, Ulis said it will introduce to the market a series of low cost IR sensors. Jean-François Delepau, managing director of Ulis, said: "There is a huge market demand now, and Ulis' offer meets market expectations in terms of cost, performance and reliability. Existing offers based on alternative technologies cannot meet market expectations. For example, these low image-resolution IR sensors require a real technological breakthrough in terms of low power and low cost technologies. Ulis owns the competitive advantage here."
These high-volume, low cost IR sensors will use new packaging technologies, such as Pixel Level and Wafer Level Packaging technologies (PLP and WLP), Ulis noted.
Founded in 2002, Ulis said it has recorded double-digit compound growth each consecutive year, with the exception of 2009. Revenues amounted to 45 million euros in ($55M) in 2011. The company began operation with 35 employees and one product. In 2012, the French company employs 140 people with two product lines covering applications from thermography to the automotive market.
US companies cannot sell thermal image sensors on the open market due defense restrictions so no wonder the French can claim they own the market.
ReplyDeleteI am sure all the bad guys will be glad they can buy night vision equipment from the French.
Yes Eric, it is a strange world we are living in. But I can give you also examples the other way around, in which the USA is much more "liberal" than the Europeans.
DeleteWe are still trying to unify Europe, but not really that successful yet. Maybe after that, we can try to unify the world, but I guess that you and I will not experience this. Maybe for our grand-grand-grand-children ;-)
not strange, in the eyes of Mr. Fossum, you, Albert, are a potentially a "bad" guy too.
DeleteWon't make much difference. There are a lot of LWIR cameras and even some microbolometer sensors made in China. Here is a company that makes them under an agreement with FLIR Systems - http://www.chinazybron.com/. The ITAR restrictions on IR imagers are widely acknowledged to be technologically obsolete. They are still in place only for political reasons.
ReplyDeleteHere is the Federal Register link to the proposed rule change (from 2010) that would include changing thermal sensor classification - https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/12/10/2010-30994/revisions-to-the-united-states-munitions-list.
Maybe one day the regulations will catch up with reality.
In the eyes of US guys, all other guys are "bad" guys. Does Eric Fossum see French guys as "bad" guys because they sell this device to other "bad" guys.
ReplyDeleteThe guy has shot 12 "good guys" is also a "good" guy??
If the French sell night vision equipment to AQ then they would be bad guys, yes. And very nice of you to immediately capitalize on the tragedy in Colorado. Moron.
DeleteIn US, we suppose to sell arms to "good" guys, right?
DeleteJust to refresh your memory: US has provided arms to AQ and also trained them. So you are "bad" guys!
DeleteVladimir,
ReplyDeleteI think that Mr. Fossum's comment can be seen as a national attack. Is that something that is allowed on this blog?
Thanks
Strictly speaking, it's not a national attack, but the whole discussion gets too political. I do not like it. So, I'm blocking the further comments to this post.
Delete