About

Company Overview

Princeton Infrared Technologies, Inc. (PIRT) is a fabless infrared company focused on design, test, and final assembly of infrared imaging and detection products specializing in InGaAs detector arrays. These detector materials are used to detect light beyond what our eyes see in the Near Infrared as well as Short Wave Infrared (900nm-1700nm) versus visible light 400-750nm.  Detectors and cameras are similar to cell phone cameras except they see infrared light that our human eyes do not see.  There are numerous applications for imaging and detecting light beyond what humans can image with our eyes including applications that need to detect moisture, temperature, or specific laser wavelengths i.e. laser designators for dropping bombs and eye-safe lasers used in range finders.

InGaAs is fabricated in what is called a “III-V semiconductor fab” which is very similar to where they manufacture silicon integrated circuits for computer chips but the manufacturing plant is for different materials than Silicon like InGaAs or GaAs.  PIRT will leverage the many larger III-V fabrication facilities that are now capable of building InGaAs detector arrays.  This will be a significant cost driver since todays InGaAs imager producers currently maintain their own semiconductor fabrication facility, which are only at partial capacity due to the relatively small volumes being sold resulting in higher cost.  In addition PIRT will leverage new hybridization technology enabling hybridization on a much smaller pixel pitch (2-4x smaller) than is currently being used in the industry.  Pixels are the picture elements in the infrared detector arrays similar to pixels in your camera phone.  The pitch describes the spacing from center to center of each pixel.  The small pixel pitch will enable many more chips on each wafer to be manufactured thus further reducing the cost of the devices.  Smaller cameras leads to smaller optics, overall device sizes, and weight, resulting in even lower costs.

PIRT will focus on both linear arrays and two dimensional arrays and cameras created in our fabless environment.  Almost all Silicon semiconductor companies have moved to this model, especially if they don’t have the ability to fill your fab with work orders.  Even Intel is looking to fill its lines with outside work from Apple.  The long wave infrared microbolometer market has also moved to this model to serve the military market as seen from press releases from DRS with Cypress Semiconductor and FLIR  with AMI.

Our Facilities

Princeton Infrared Technologies Inc. has office and lab space (>1150 square feet, with >250 square feet of clean room space) in Monmouth Junction, NJ to conduct our testing and final assembly.  PIRT has the test equipment necessary to test the noise and sensitivity of the imagers.  To supplement its current testing and fabrication capabilities Princeton Infrared Technologies has joined Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) at Princeton University.  PRISM operates two large scale multi-user central research facilities. The following is from the PRISM website “These are the Micro/Nanofabrication lab (MNFL) and the Imaging Analysis Center (IAC). The MNFL provides a complete set of tools for designing, fabricating, prototyping and testing a wide range of micro and nano structures and devices, with substrates ranging from traditional silicon and compound semiconductor substrates to flexible metal and plastic foils.” This gives PIRT complete testing and fabrication facilities and equipment equivalent to many much larger entities.

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  Dr. Martin H. Ettenberg

  CEO

  Dr. Ettenberg is currently the CEO, board member, and founder of Princeton Infrared Technologies, Inc., a company dedicated to commercialization of NIR/SWIR detection technologies.  He had been developing InGaAs detectors for over 14 years at Sensors Unlimited Inc./Goodrich Corporation.  He joined Sensors Unlimited, Inc. in August of 1997 and began as the principal investigator on two Phase I and two Phase II SBIR programs.  Those government programs lead to the development of several camera products that Martin was the product manager and latter Director of Imaging Products.  Some of those products included the SUI Minicamera, SUI MicroCamera, and the SU640SDV.  Martin was also the lead on several other larger government research programs/proposals including DARPA’s PCAR, MISI, and DUDE programs.  He led the development of the first night-vision-capable InGaAs camera, which was later commercialized as the SU320MX.  This camera demonstrated a factor of 20 improvement in detectivity over the prior state-of-the-art.  In addition to fabricating larger focal plane arrays and more sensitive cameras he was instrumental in developing smaller cameras for robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles.  A one year project named the 320 Minicamera reduced the camera size by a factor of 8 while reducing the weight by a factor of 10.  His DARPA worked lead to his nomination in 2005 for the DARPA Significant Achievement Award.
  
  Dr. Martin H. Ettenberg graduated with a Masters and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Virginia Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering.  He also received his BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University. 
  
  
  Publications:

  M. H. Ettenberg and D. Malchow, “Short-wave IR offers unique remote sensing solutions”, Laser Focus World, April (2006).

  M. H. Ettenberg and D. Malchow, “How to use shortwave infrared imaging in thermal applications”, Advanced Imaging, April (2006).

  M. H. Ettenberg, “A little night vision” Advanced Imaging, March (2005).

  M. J. Cohen and M. H. Ettenberg, “Machine vision in the shortwave infrared”, Advanced Imaging, March (2004).

  M. H. Ettenberg, and M. J. Cohen, “Spectroscopic line-scan systems open short-wave infrared applications”, Laser Focus World, Oct (2003).

  M. H. Ettenberg and R. M. Brubaker, “Indium gallium arsenide handles broad task spectrum in near infrared”, Laser Focus World, Aug (2002).

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  Mike Lange

  Detector Specialist

  Mike Lange is the detector specialist.  Mr. Lange obtained his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute, with an emphasis on Chemistry of Microelectronics and an M.E. in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University. He has over 25 years of experience in Semiconductor Device Fabrication.  He is a pioneer in InP/InGaAs fabrication technology with over 25 years in the field.
  
  Through the mid 1980’s, Mr. Lange helped develop many of the standard techniques currently being used to manufacture high quality, production grade InGaAs based photonic devices while employed at Epitaxx.  He was Director of Fabrication Technology at Sensors Unlimited/Finisar/Goodrich Corp. where he designed and improved manufacturing fabrication processes for a variety of opto-electronic components including APDs, High-Speed PINs, NIR spectroscopy arrays, NIR imaging arrays, lasers and JFETs.
  
  Mike has extensive knowledge of many aspects of III-V semiconductor, Ge and SiC device fabrication and packaging technology.  He has been responsible for device design, optimizing fabrication techniques, and has assembled six different clean-room foundries. These fabrication facilities have produced well over $500M of electronic devices over the past 25 years.  He holds several patents for InGaAs device inventions and has published several technical papers.  Mr. Lange joined the PRISM staff at Princeton University in early 2008 as Engineer-in-Residence where he helped support the micro/nanofabrication facility and interact with all PRISM corporate members. Besides InP/inGaAs materials, Mr. Lange’s experience in semiconductor devices also includes Germanium, Silicon, Silicon Carbide, Gallium Arsenide, Indium Antimonide, and Organic Semiconductors.  In 2009 Mr. Lange became a general partner in United Silicon Carbide Inc. which fabricates a variety of high power electronic SiC devices.

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  Hai Nguyen

  Director of Testing

  Hai has over 25 years of experience in Photonics Imaging with X-ray, Ultraviolet (UV), Visible and Short Wave Infared (SWIR) spectrum.  His last position was Product Engineer Manager at United Technology Aerospace Systems, previously Sensors Unlimited Inc.   He was responsible for managing the SWIR Linescan and Area camera product lines; validating and qualifying of new and semi-custom camera designs to MIL-STD 810G compliance; transferring of products to production including work instructions and test infrastructures.  Between 2004-2008 he worked at Horiba Scientific- Jobin Yvon as Director of CCD Detector Division. Responsible for leading teams to develop and launch of Scientific CCD Cameras (for spectroscopy, microscopy and imaging) with liquid nitrogen (LN2) and thermal electric cooler (TEC) assist; transferring of new camera designs to production includes provide of equipment and processes to achieve ultra-low vacuum level (10E-19 torr). Between 2000-2004, Director of Operations and Site Manager for DALSA – Colorado Springs, CO. Responsible for site’s budget, executing of Contracts, New Product Development, Manufacturing, Customer Technical Support, site safety and security. Managed two design teams locate at two different locations and delivered projects in half the development time. Consolidated and merged two SBUs to a single location without interruption to customer deliveries.

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  Robert "Bob" Struthers

  Director of Sales and Marketing

  Mr. Robert D. Struthers Jr., also known as Bob, joined Princeton Infrared Technologies in January of 2017. He was previously the Executive Vice-President of Business Development at PD-LD, Inc. from 2012 to 2017. Mr. Struthers served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sensors Unlimited Inc. and served as its Director of Sales & Marketing. Mr. Struthers directed the rapid sales growth of Sensors Unlimited, Inc.'s telecom and imaging products. In this role, he was responsible for all sales and strategic forcasting. Mr. Struthers began his career in the photonics industry with EG&G Inc. in 1978 and led sales organizations for 11 divisions of the EG&G, for over 18 years. In this position he developed sales growth plans for a diverse line of products and customers. His direct involvement in markets including machine vision, infrared sensing, biomedical instrumentation and fiberoptic instruments have made a great contribution to the Sensors Unlimited sales team. Under his direction, annual revenues have increased from $5 million to $30 million in only three years. In 1997, he joined Sensors Unlimited, Inc. and established a Sales and Marketing team leading it to global leadership position in short-wave infrared spectroscopy and imaging markets. He received his Electronics Engineering education from Ohio Institute of Technology in 1974.

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  Steve McHugh

  Chairman of the Board

  Steve McHugh is the Chairman of the Board.  He is currently the President of Santa Barbara Infrared, President of IRCameras and Chairman of Mountain RF Sensors. He was co-founder of SBIR in 1986, founder of IRCameras in 2012 and founder of Mountain RF in 2013. SBIR was acquired by HEICO Corporation in 1999.  Steve now operates as COO of HEICO Corporation's Electronic Technology Division (NYSE HEI).  Steve is involved with all corporate activities, with the main concentration on strategic sales/marketing, business planning, and new product development. He was awarded a BS degree from University of California, San Diego in 1979.

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  Chris Martin

  Manager of Programs

  Chris joined Princeton Infrared Technologies in July 2017. He is experienced in leading advanced technology development and product realization programs across a diverse range of industries. Past employers include American Standard Products, SRI International, Sensors Unlimited, Inc./Goodrich Corporation, and Headwaters Technologies. Career highlights include leading the project teams that integrated iris recognition technology in mobile phones for the Samsung Galaxy S8 at SRI and developed the first two generations of SWIR 1280x1024 area cameras at Sensors Unlimited. Chris has managed multi-million dollar product development programs with all types of funding arrangements, including internally-funded, OEM contract research, and government/DoD contracts. Chris was the program manager for the MARCORSYSCOM effort to develop the first high definition, uncooled, mil-rugged SWIR area camera at Sensors Unlimited.

  Chris received his Ph.D. in Chemical and Materials Engineering from Princeton University in 2005. He also graduated from Massachusetts Institute Technology with S.B. and M.S.C.E.P. degrees in Chemical Engineering. He has been a licensed Project Management Professional since 2011.

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  Tom Sudol

  Camera Development Manager/Engineer

  Tom joined Princeton Infrared Technologies in October 2018, bringing over 25 years of electronics design experience in support of photonic and imaging devices to the team. His previous positions in the field were with SRI International/Sarnoff Corporation, Avo Photonics, Sensors Unliimited, Inc./Goodrich Corporation, and Princeton Instruments, Inc. At SRI International and Sensors Unlimited, Tom was lead of electrical engineering teams responsible for development of custom electronic systems for various research contracts and custom product developments. At SRI, Tom was lead on test and camera system developments in support of low-light, visible CMOS imagers for night vision applications, as well as supporting electronic systems for CCD and CMOS imagers used in military and space-based scientific applications. At SRI, Avo Photonics, and Princeton Instruments, Tom also performed electronics development and support of UV/visible imaging subsystems used in commercial spectroscopy instruments. At Sensors Unlimited, Tom led the development of a variety of SWIR camera systems including their first generation 1280J and 640H/KT cameras, as well as their legacy 640SD area camera and 1024LD linescan camera product lines. 

  Tom received his M.S.E. in Electrical Engineering from University of Pennsylvania in 1991, B.S. in engineering physics from Lehigh University in 1990, and B.S. in electrical engineering from Lehigh University in 1989. Tom is co-author on 12 technical publications in the field of imaging technology. 

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