Silicon Thermal Transistor

Thermal imaging captures invisible infrared radiation, the heat naturally emitted by people, objects, and environments, and converts it into visible images. It enables us to "see" temperature differences, even in total darkness or visually challenging conditions like smoke, fog, or cluttered scenes.

Regular cameras see reflected visible light, what the human eye can see. Thermal cameras see emitted heat. That means they don't need external light, making them ideal for low-visibility conditions and unique cases like night navigation, safety monitoring, and medical diagnostics.

Beyond imaging, thermal sensing, or thermography, opens a new dimension of information. it can reveal physiological and emotional states by detecting subtle temperature changes in human face and body, making it valuable for health monitoring, stress detection, and next-generation human-machine interface.

Because traditional thermal technologies haven't been part of the silicon ecosystem. They rely on specialized materials and custom processes, which make them challenging to scale and integrate. As a result, thermal imaging has remained limited to niche markets rather than reaching widespread everyday use.

As AI and intelligent systems evolve, they require rich inputs to perceive the world beyond human vision. Thermal imaging adds an entirely different layer of context: revealing heat signatures, attention, stress, safety risks, and more. But to scale, it must be made in silicon: compact, affordable, and ready to integrate into today's sensor stack.