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Heating is a major cause of failure in integrated circuits. The authors have designed thermoreflectance‐based systems operating at various wavelengths in order to obtain temperature images. This paper aims to explore the possibilities of each wavelength range and detail the charge coupled device (CCD)‐based thermal imaging tools dedicated to the high‐resolution inspection of integrated circuits.

Thermoreflectance is a non‐contact optical method using the local reflectivity variations induced by heating to infer temperature mappings, and can be conducted at virtually any wavelength, giving access to different types of information. In the visible, the technique is now well established. It can probe temperatures through several micrometers of transparent encapsulation layers, with sub‐μm spatial resolution and 100 mK thermal resolution.

In the ultraviolet range, dielectric encapsulation layers are opaque and thermoreflectance gives access to the surface temperature. In the near infrared, thermoreflectance is an interesting solution to examine chips turned upside down, since these wavelengths can penetrate through silicon substrates and give access to the temperature of the active layers themselves.

The authors show that the illumination wavelength of thermoreflectance should be chosen with care depending on the region of the integrated circuit (surface, above, or below the substrate) to be investigated.

This set of versatile and sensitive tools makes thermoreflectance an interesting tool for the semiconductor industry, either during prototyping or as a characterization tool after fabrication.

The CCD‐based thermoreflectance approach adopted here allows fast, non‐contact, high‐resolution thermal imaging of integrated circuits.

Optical sensor companies in the UK are getting together to organise their own research and development.

Manufacturing industry worldwide is at a turning point in seeking greater competitiveness. High precision manufacturing offers better quality and reliability for conventional products, but also makes possible entirely new products, especially where mechatronics, miniaturization and high performance are important. Describes the main ultra precision machining processes and illustrates how cutting and grinding have been stretched into the nanotechnology regime, especially for advanced ceramics, glasses and opto‐electronic materials.

A recent programme of technical collaboration between Alelco, DIE of Palermo and CRES of Monreale has led to the development and operative confirmation of a technique for delineating conductive microgeometries on various types of substrates. This technique, using a flexible system of laser microlithography on planar (2‐D) or three‐dimensional (3‐D) surfaces, has led to the development of several types of thin film components for use at both low and high frequencies.

The application of laser and optical technologies in the industry is wide and extensive; the development and application of laser and optical technologies have become a promising research domain. However, most existing studies have focused on the technical aspects or the application aspects; these studies have not highlighted the technology distribution and application development of laser and optical technologies from the big picture. Additionally, the manner in which the research and development (R&D) results of universities correspond to the needs of enterprises and industry has become a topic of concern for the public. Therefore, this study aims to adopt the academic patents as the basis for analysis and to construct a laser and optical technology network.

Therefore, in the current study, the researchers have analyzed relevant academic patent technology networks, using academic patents of laser and optical technologies as a basis of analysis.

The study results indicated that the key technologies mainly lie in nanostructures, metal-working, material analysis and semiconductor devices. Additionally, these technologies are mainly applied in industries, such as optics, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and organic fine chemistry; this indicated that a large proportion of academia’s R&D outcomes are applied in these industries.

In this study, the researchers have constructed a technology network model to explore the technical development direction of laser and optical technologies; the results of the current study could serve as a reference for universities and industry for allocation of R&D resources.

In this work, the authors aim to present a compact low-cost and portable spectral imaging system for general purposes. The developed system provides information that can be used for a fast in situ identification and classification of samples based on the analysis of captured images. The connectivity of the instrument allows a deeper analysis of the images in an external computer.

The wavelength selection of the system is carried out by light multiplexing through a light-emitting diode panel where eight wavelengths covering the spectrum from ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared region (NIR) have been included. The image sensor used is a red green blue – infrared (RGB-IR) micro-camera controlled by a Raspberry Pi board where a basic image processing algorithm has been programmed. It allows the visualization in an integrated display of the reflectance and the histogram of the images at each wavelength, including UV and NIRs.

The prototype has been tested by analyzing several samples in a variety of applications such as detection of damaged, over-ripe and sprayed fruit, classification of different type of plastic materials and determination of properties of water.

The designed system presents some advantages as being non-expensive and portable in comparison to other multispectral imaging systems. The low-cost and size of the camera module connected to the Raspberry Pi provides a compact instrument for general purposes.

High density interconnect (HDI) printed circuits are now being designed in ever‐increasing quantities for very high‐speed applications. The challenge of opto‐electronics and integration of photonics into the printed circuit has started to take off. In the next 7 years, expectations are that photonic printed circuit boards will grow to a $2.5 billion industry. This paper looks at the issues, materials and current processes being researched by European, Japanese and North American organizations to create this integrated opto‐electronic circuit board. In addition to reviewing the global players in polymer photonics, this paper will review the current programs of four of the six groups globally, namely EOBC‐OptoFoil (University of Ulm, Fraunhafer Inst., Daimler‐Chrysler, Siemens), PolyGuide (Dupont, HP), TOPCat (NIST, 3M, Goodyear), Truemode™ (Terahertz), NTT and JIEP.

This paper aims to provide details of miniaturised analytical instrument technologies and developments.

Following an introduction and historical background, this first considers miniaturised chromatographs and spectrometers based on micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)/micro total analytical system technologies. It then discusses lab-on-a-chip developments with an emphasis on capillary electrophoresis. Developments in the emerging lab-on-paper technology are then considered and are followed by brief concluding comments.

This shows that many classes of analytical instruments which offer a number of operational and economic benefits have been miniaturised through the use of microfabrication and other technologies. They are an active field of research and are based on silicon, glass, polymers and even paper and are underpinned by developments in microfluidics and optofluidics and fabrication techniques which include lithography, MEMS and micro-opto-electromechanical system.

This provides an insight into the rapidly developing field of miniaturised analytical instrument technologies.

This paper takes a critical examination of the process and management of innovation and the attainment of competitive advantage in the emerging enterprise. The ingredients for the successful management of innovation are explored using two case illustrations of companies that have attained profitable and sustainable business development against the odds in the pharmaceutical and fibre‐optics industries.