A research team from the University of Exeter recently published a paper that detailed a new methodology for T-ray imaging that will allow users to see through dense, opaque materials with twice the clarity as current processes. The technology could be developed to detect melanoma in future. (via Sciencemag.org)
What if you could test tiny microchips without having to open up complex devices? Or scan for melanoma long before current technologies can detect its presence? Terahertz radiation, or T-rays, can accomplish just that in the near future, and its technology just got a lot better.
A team of researchers led by Rayko Stantchev from the University of Exeter in the UK developed a new type of microscopic camera that uses terahertz frequency to see through opaque objects. In an experiment, the research team was able to successfully assess the functionality of a microchip on the underside of a thick silicon cover in what would otherwise be impossible with current methodologies.
The new imaging technology offers twice as much resolution as existing methods and will allow researchers to see below the 200-micron limitation of current T-ray imaging. Terahertz radiation, which belongs to the electromagnetic radiation spectrum and has a similar distribution to microwaves, can see through essentially anything that is not conductive and does not have water. This makes it ideal for testing microchips and other electronics for functionality in instances that would otherwise be grueling or near impossible.
For something like a hefty manufacturing machine, Stantchev’s imaging will give companies a way to assess whether or not a microchip is functional in a non-invasive and cost-effective way. The imaging is also so detailed it could see the pupils of a mite. If further developed, the technology could even screen for melanoma during the early stages of development, said Stantchev.
T-ray technologies are currently in use to assess the fibers and nuances of Masterpiece paintings, including frescoes and murals. Aerospace engineers also rely on the technology to assess the quality of the panels on space shuttles.
T-rays are fairly safe to use, given the slower frequency of its wavelength. Marvel was onto something with its endless array of superheroes equipped with X-ray vision. If a mad scientist got his hands on a T-ray camera, the possibilities for expansion would be endless.
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