Smart Infrared Focal Plane Arrays and Advanced Electronics

The objective of this proposal is to use the proprietary knowledge of Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) unit cell and architecture design from Infrared Laboratories, Inc. (IRL) and Valley Oak Semiconductors, LLC (VOS, a wholly owned subsidiary of IRL), to develop and demonstrate a smart ROIC for advanced infrared sensors that can be operated robustly in a ballistic missile defense environment. Innovative ROIC architectures will be proposed in order to pursue the essential features posted by the SBIR program: large well capacity, low noise, on-chip ADC, on-chip signal processing, radiation-hardened, etc. The research will conduct a feasibility study on the proposed approaches, quantitative analysis and computer simulation for evaluation and justification.