Skip to main content

Manufacturing Innovation

Obsidian Sensors Cuts Thermal Camera Costs Tenfold via Glass-Substrate MEMS

Obsidian Sensors Cuts Thermal Camera Costs Tenfold via Glass-Substrate MEMS

San Diego – – September 18, 2026 -- Obsidian Sensors has secured a contract under the DUTCH project to deliver high-resolution thermal cameras at attritable price points for the Drone Dominance program, using a manufacturing process the company says will eventually cut costs by an order of magnitude versus incumbent suppliers.

Obsidian fabricates MEMS sensors on glass panels 20 times larger than standard silicon wafers

The company's proprietary Large Area MEMS Platform (LAMP) departs from the thermal imaging industry's traditional reliance on 8-inch silicon wafers. Instead, Obsidian builds its MEMS thermal sensor structures on large glass substrates inside a standard flat-panel display factory, borrowing the scale and cost structure of the display manufacturing sector rather than the semiconductor industry.

Meller Optics Launches Custom Sapphire Optics for 1,600°C Applications

Meller Optics Launches Custom Sapphire Optics for 1,600°C Applications

Providence, R.I. – September 18, 2026 -- Meller Optics, Inc. has introduced custom fabricated sapphire optics engineered to withstand temperatures up to 1,600°C, targeting missile seeker windows, furnace inspection ports, semiconductor processing equipment, pyrometers, vacuum chambers, and aerospace instrumentation.

Sapphire optics resist fluorine exposure and extreme thermal swings

The optics operate across a range of -200°C to +1,600°C depending on configuration and remain impervious to fast-moving fluids, particles, and most chemicals, including fluorine at temperatures up to 300°C. This chemical and thermal resilience makes them suitable for harsh industrial environments where standard optical materials degrade.