Two-Color Radiation Hardened Gamma-Ray Noise Suppressing FPA Design Program

Radiation hardened multi-color infrared (IR) focal plane arrays are required for MDA interceptor and surveillance sensors, for example, the MDA MKV KV and CV and the US Navy Aegis Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptor system. The key to meeting the system requirements for the MKV, SM-3, and other missile interceptor systems is the development of multi-color radiation hardened two-color long wave (LW) focal plane arrays (FPAs) with very high pixel operability. Several FPA manufacturers have demonstrated transient gamma noise reduction in single color Read-Out Integrated Circuits (ROICs) and the DRS two-color IR FPA was characterized to show limited noise suppression using their standard unit cell/readout integrated circuit but no vendors have produced FPAs with intentional gamma noise suppression circuitry in multi-color ROICs. The objective of this proposed Phase II effort is to design a radiation hardened ROIC including gamma-ray noise suppression, develop, fabricate and test prototype test circuits to prove the concept, layout the unit cell design, and continue with the development of the FPA/ROIC design which will be used in the development and production of an MKV/SM-3 or other two-color IR FPAs.