SiGe Digital Imaging Sensors for Night Vision Goggles

In this project, Agiltron and RTI International propose a SiGe digital imaging sensor to replace the image intensifier tube in night vision goggles. The SiGe digitial imaging sensor will satisfy all modern warfighter requirements, including reductions in size, weight, power consumption, and cost; digitization of the output image; spectral coverage of both the visible and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands; higher sensitivity; and higher resolution. The SiGe digital imaging sensor consists of a Si-based CMOS imaging sensor with monolithically integrated SiGe photodiodes to extend the cutoff wavelength deep into the SWIR. By introducing SWIR capability to the mature CMOS imaging technology, we uniquely exploit the advantages each technology offers to realize a digital imaging sensor for night vision applications with unprecedented functionality and low cost.