OP13 - 3D-Terahertz-Tomography for Material Inspection and Security
- Event
- SENSOR+TEST Conferences 2009
2009-05-26 - 2009-05-28
Congress Center Nürnberg - Band
- Proceedings OPTO 2009 & IRS² 2009
- Chapter
- OPTO Poster Session
- Author(s)
- T. Loeffler - SynView GmbH, Glashütten, Germany
- Pages
- 179 - 184
- DOI
- 10.5162/opto09/op13
- ISBN
- 978-3-9810993-6-2
- Price
- free
Abstract
The increasing use of novel materials and production technologies increase the demand for new nondestructive testing solutions. At the same time worldwide terrorism leads to a strong request for advanced security technology.
Terahertz and millimeter-wave imaging (THz imaging) is a novel measurement technique, which can serve both application fields. However, in the past THz imaging was not mature enough to fulfill the numerous industrial and commercial needs. The main limitation was a limited dynamic range leading to a too long image acquisition time.
With the new Synview technology, we overcome the limitations and introduce here a table-top tum-key measurement system which fulfills the needs of scientific and industrial material-testing institutions. Further developments will allow an implementation of the Synview technology in rapid moving production lines and for security screening applications.
Terahertz and millimeter waves are fully harmless electromagnetic waves (similar to radio waves) in the frequency range from 50 GHz to 3000 GHz (= 3 THz). The waves can penetrate dielectric or nonconducting materials like plastics, ceramics, paper, cardboard, wood, cloth etc. Metallic or conducting surfaces reflect the waves.
THz imaging shows the inside of various objects and structures and therefore allows the characterization of hidden or buried interfaces, surfaces or layers. In the security field, suspicious objects hidden underneath the cloth can be made visible.