New developments in IR lock-in thermography

The new developments in infrared (IR) lock-in thermography are discussed. The technique is based on the application of a supply voltage to the IC which is periodically pulsed in the 3 Hz to 1 kHz range. The new techniques aim to improve the detection sensitivity and to improve the effective spatial resolution. It is found that for an averaging technique such as lock-in thermography, the sensitivity can always be improved by increasing the measurement time over which the results are averaged.