Readout Integrated Circuit for Advanced Interceptors

The advanced seeker of the future will be one that allows for multiple targets and various advanced countermeasures. This advanced seeker is most likely one that includes a dual mode component to it. A Dual Mode Seeker (DMS) has at least an infrared (IR) Focal Plane Array (FPA) as well as an active means to capture target range and preferably 3-D imagery. It is this range detection with 3-D imagery that is the subject of this proposal. A Laser Detection And Ranging (Ladar) system can provide accurate angle, angle and range (AAR) detection allowing the DMS to create a three dimensional image(s) of the target(s). The Ladar system being considered as part of this proposal is based on the Ladar brassboard developed and demonstrated by BAE SYSTEMS using the Lincoln Labs 32x32 APD array design. Presently, IBSi is under contract with USA SMDC under the Long Range Atmospheric Defense (LRAD) program to integrate a mirror control and stabilization system to be used in the next generation seekers such as MKV, KEI and Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Dual mode seeker (DMS). This system is being delivered to BAE Systems in Nashua, NH for use in technology demonstration and DMS integration. One area that has been identified as critical is the ability to point and queue the Ladar's output laser to a target based, in part, on the IR FPA data. This ability requires a very tight coupling of the Ladar system with that of the IR signal processing. It should be noted that the focus of this effort is AAR Ladar due to its inherent small size and high performance, compatibility with range resolved Doppler Ladar would be a consideration. As shown through the MDA ARRDI study both approaches have their strengths and compliment each other. Based on continuing development of the dual mode seeker being targeted for the next generation avionics on the THAAD program and Carrier Vehicle concepts for MKV, by our team member BAE Systems, it is now known that the combination of the passive IR FPA image data and active range (Ladar) image will require only a 32x32 array size. This array size is sufficient as long as the feature size (pitch) of the pixels with-in the APD array and the integrated ROIC can be manufactured to support a much tighter pixel pitch than what has been previously realized. Future application will require arrays of up to 1024x1024. The approach proposed here is scalable to this size.