HIGH-RESOLUTION VIS/SWIR LOW-LIGHT LEVEL DIGITAL SENSOR AND CAMERA DEVELOPMENT

The objective of this Phase 2 effort is to experimentally demonstrate a set of manufacturing process steps that provide the necessary enabling technology to improve upon Intevacs current low-light level camera product offerings: Intevac's ISIE6 electron-bombarded active pixel sensor (EBAPS)-based digital intensified-imaging (DI2) cameras (which incorporate an InGaAs photocathode that is responsive from 950nm-1650nm) and Intevac's GaAs-photocathode-based ISIE11 EBAPS-based DI2 cameras (2M 10.8um-square pixels, 1600 x 1200 frame at 60Hz, <1 Photoelectron noise floor). Intevac will develop manufacturing process steps that support incorporation of a modified InGaAs(P) photocathode (that exhibits responsivity blue-extended down to 500nm) into an ISIE11-based sensor and head-mounted binocular assembly.An experimental down-selection among the potential technical approaches that were investigated in Phase 1 is proposed whereby highly manufacturable processing of an InGaAs(P) Transferred Electron (TE) photocathode with a high resolution contact grid is attached to a transparent faceplate or substrate and is compatible with Intevacs processing steps that integrate the TE-photocathode into an ISIE11 EBAPS. It is expected that down-selected manufacturing processes shall be vetted and established and working prototype TE-EBAPS-based sensor assemblies exhibiting extended spectral response shall be produced, leading the way for subsequent volume production.