Recent developments in the field of near-infrared emission microscopy

In 1996 Infrared Labs introduced the first infrared emission microscope, the IREM1. A simple prototype, using a single NICMOS3 array identical to the 3 arrays still imaging the sky from space, proved that both photoemission and thermal emission from active samples could be accomplished in a single instrument. Most of the IREMs are used only with packaged parts. Currently, six IREM Wafer Probers (Patent No. US 6,515,494 Bl) are in operation with one upgraded to handle C4-wafers of both diameters. Users report that traditional FA and Debug performed at the wafer level dramatically reduces the time to solve a number of significant problems including production yield enhancement. Dramatic advances are coming from the real-time application of powerful image restoration techniques that produce the benefits of superresolution while maintaining photometric accuracy in the final image. Other important uses will emerge as other users adopt this powerful near-IR imaging technology.