Solid State Night Vision Sensor

Trex Enterprises Corporation (Trex) proposes to develop a broadband (400nm ¡V 1600 nm) CMOS-based focal plane array (FPA) that provides video imaging capability in daylight conditions, and also in moonlight and moonless night conditions. The FPA will incorporate the Trex Photoconductor on Active Pixel (POAP) FPA technology. In the past year, Trex has demonstrated broadband visible-SWIR FPA imaging capability using a hybrid amorphous silicon/microcrystalline germanium (a-Si:H/ƒÝc-Ge) photodiode (400 nm ¡V 1600 nm VIS/SWIR spectrum) coated on a CMOS readout integrated circuit (ROIC). The proposed Phase I effort will involve the design, fabrication and demonstration of an improved a-Si:H/ƒÝc-Ge photodiode on a novel CMOS ROIC that has been previously developed for commercial cell phone applications. The design will be based on test data from the on-going development of the a-Si:H/ƒÝc-Ge photodiode technology. We will demonstrate the FPA imaging capability in illumination conditions that are consistent with night vision applications. We will work closely with the Air Force to define the design specifications of the proposed FPA. The proposed Phase II effort will involve the fabrication, testing/optimization and delivery of four prototype VIS/SWIR FPAs to the government. We are presently investigating multiple avenues of potential Phase III commercialization of the proposed technology.