Circuits Enhance Scientific Instruments and Safety Devices

About this technology

Overview

In 1996, Thomas Crowe and William Bishop founded Virginia Diodes Inc. (VDI), based in Charlottesville, Virginia. VDI now has over 30 full-time employees and grows 30 percent per year, growth Crowe credits to its terahertz products developed under SBIR contracts with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Because of the unique characteristics of terahertz radiation-such as its ability to image hidden items and to detect and identify a wide range of chemicals-there is a growing demand for terahertz components. Applications include security imaging systems, hazardous chemical and biological-agent detectors, plasma diagnostic instruments, and industrial process monitors. The company has over 200 customers in over two dozen countries.