Durable, High Performance Anti-Reflection Treatment For HgCdTe Infrared Detectors

Imaging sensors designed to convert infrared light energy into tactical information, are at the core of nearly all advanced military systems. Sensor materials and components are constantly evolving to respond with ever increasing sensitivity, in harsh environmental and space based conditions. Today the performance of conventional anti-reflection (AR) technology of these systems has not kept pace with the requirements of these systems. In particular, there is an urgent need for an AR technology that offers high suppression of reflected light for CdZnTe substrates over the 8-12 micron LWIR range in the infrared, combined with a significantly improved lifetime when operating in harsh radiative environments such as that found in space. TelAztec proposes to demonstrate a new type of high performance AR technology for LWIR HgCdTe detectors grown on CdZnTe substrates, with broad-band operation and dramatically increased lifetime in high radiation environments. Based on surface relief microstructures fabricated directly into the substrate material, the proposed AR treatment completely eliminates the limitations due to stress, thermal mismatch, adhesion, radiation damage, complexity, and cost associated with conventional multi-layer thin-film AR coating techniques. In addition, TelAztec proposes to develop a fabrication process that integrates seamlessly with state of the art HgCdTe fabrication processes.