SiMO™ (Silicon Metal Oxide) is a revolutionary near-infrared photodetector technology with 10+ granted patents worldwide — an extremely low-cost alternative to expensive III-V detectors, with no environmental burden and full CMOS compatibility.
A pulsed beam hits the SiMO detector; the photocurrent is amplified, thresholded and read out — as bits, and as a time-of-flight range. Every readout below is computed by the page, not typed.
Our team combined deep expertise in semiconductor and metal-oxide electronics, advanced materials simulation and plasmonics to develop this cutting-edge detector — engineered to compete with state-of-the-art InGaAs solutions at a fraction of the cost.
Developed in collaboration with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) in Durham, UK, SiMO™ combines innovative device design with efficient manufacturing to significantly reduce production costs — making advanced NIR sensing accessible across industries, from high-speed data communication and on-chip optical-interconnect receivers to LiDAR and other Time-of-Flight sensing such as bio-imaging, industrial automation and facial recognition.
Silicon-based NIR detection, orders of magnitude cheaper than existing In(Ga)As solutions — the lowest-cost technology in the industry, with no compromise on performance.
Very low dark current minimises noise, ensuring high sensitivity and reliable signal detection even in challenging conditions.
Designed to be fully compatible with all CMOS processes, enabling seamless integration into existing semiconductor chip and product design.
Extremely high-efficiency NIR photodetection with response times down to <1 ps, unlocking unmatched dynamic performance.
Our patented SiMO near-infrared photodetection is one of the future candidates for NIR photodetection at extremely low cost — targeting LiDAR, high-speed data communications and chip interconnects.
We are currently running a manufacturability study with our partners at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) in the UK — targeting TRL6 and demonstration of large-area manufacturability with very good yield. Our aim is to integrate this technology into a variety of applications including LiDAR, high-speed data communications and chip interconnects. The unique selling points remain consistent across the portfolio: very low-cost silicon-based NIR detection (orders of magnitude below In(Ga)As), high efficiency with response times below 1 ps, very low dark current, and full CMOS compatibility.
On-chip optical-interconnect receivers and high-speed links, where low response time and CMOS integration matter most.
Automotive and industrial LiDAR and ToF sensing, delivering InGaAs-class performance at silicon cost.
Bio-imaging, industrial automation robots and facial recognition — precision NIR sensing at scale.
We invite interested early adopters with near-infrared sensing requirements to get in touch today.
Get in touch today