SWIR (Short-Wave Infrared) refers to a region of the infrared spectrum, typically defined as wavelengths from about 1000nm to 1700nm, though some definitions extend up to 2500nm.

SWIR (Short-Wave Infrared) is part of the infrared spectrum with longer wavelengths then NIR (IR).

The visible spectrum ranges roughly from 400–700nm. SWIR lies beyond Near-Infrared (NIR) and requires specialized imaging sensors to detect.

How Is SWIR Different from IR (NIR)?

While both NIR and SWIR are part of the infrared family, they interact with materials very differently.
  • 850nm IR works well with standard security camera CMOS sensors, making it ideal for covert or low-light surveillance.
  • At wavelengths beyond 850nm, silicon begins to lose sensitivity, and at about 1000nm (SWIR) the infrared passes through silicon and it becomes transparent.
  • SWIR requires specialized imaging sensors to detect, such as Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs), which are designed to detect light from 1000nm to 1700nm.
  • SWIR sensors allow us to “see” features that are invisible to both human eyes and conventional cameras.

Why SWIR?

SWIR light offers unique benefits that make it useful across a wide range of industrial and scientific applications:
  • Material penetration: Some objects that appear opaque in visible light become transparent under SWIR.
  • Moisture detection: Water absorbs strongly around 1450nm, making wet areas appear darker in SWIR images.
  • Chemical contrast: Differences in materials, like coatings, adhesives, or layers, can become visible.
  • Fill level and contamination inspection: Non-invasive imaging of fluid levels, seals, or foreign substances inside packaging.

SWIR in Action: Industrial and Machine Vision Applications

SWIR imaging is used in areas where visible light fails to deliver critical information.
These include:
  • Semiconductor inspection
  • Solar panel quality control
  • Moisture detection in food, paper, or wood
  • Packaging and fill-level analysis
  • Sorting and recycling
  • Medical and pharmaceutical imaging
Production & Assembly
Inspection
Sort & Detect

Semiconductor Inspection Using SWIR

Because silicon becomes transparent at SWIR wavelengths, engineers can inspect circuits, detect alignment issues, and analyze internal structures of ICs and MEMs devices without physical contact.
SWIR also plays a key role in:
  • Photoemission failure analysis
  • Crack detection in solar wafers
  • Transparent layer inspection in advanced microelectronics

AXTON 1450nm SWIR Lights

Axton’s 1450nm SWIR LED lights are designed for moisture detection, material contrast, and industrial inspection.
This wavelength is ideal for:
  • Penetrating thin plastics and silicon
  • Highlighting water content
  • Seeing through some visually opaque materials
AXTON SWIR Illuminators
Light reveals more than we can see ...

Light reveals more than our eyes alone can see. Each element, hydrogen, oxygen, sodium, absorbs or emits light at specific wavelengths. This principle, called spectroscopy, allows scientists to identify substances in laboratories, stars, and even the atmospheres of distant exoplanets.

Read More:
850nm VS 940nm IR
Questions?

If you have questions about the best lighting for your site, feel free to contact us: call 801/519-0500 or email: support@axtontech.com