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Is an emissivity coating required for devices tested using lock-in thermography?
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Emissivity coating is typically not required when performing lock-in testing unless a device has significant metallization on or close to the surface, leading to very low surface emissivity (< 0.30). Emissivity coatings are typically very thin (several microns) and are sprayed or airbrushed on a device to increase surface emissivity to ~0.5. Metal surfaces can have very low emissivity (< 0.1) and will emit very low levels of thermal radiance, resulting in poor lock-in test detection. When having difficulty detecting fault heating during lock-in tests, it may be helpful to apply emissivity coating to increase emitted radiant energy and improve lock-in test success.