BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED LARGE FORMAT CCDS AND CCD MOSAICS

INVESTIGATION INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING LARGE FORMAT THINNED BACKSIDE ILLUMINATED CCDS AND CCD MOSAICS IS PROPOSED. THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH UNIFORMLY THINNING LARGE SILICON AREAS, MOUNTING THE THINNED MEMBRANE TO A RIGID SUPPORT SUCH THAT A DESIRED OPTICAL FIGURE IS OBTAINED, AND MAKING RELIABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT TO THE CCD ARE ADDRESSED IN THE PHASE I WORK. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PHASE I AND PHASE II WORK WILL RESULT IN THE AVAILABILITY OF LARGE FORMAT CCDS AND CCD MOSAICS THAT EXHIBIT HIGH, STABLE SENSITIVITY AT WAVELENGTHSEXTENDING FROM THE NEAR-IR THROUGH THE VUV. SUCH DEVICES WILL BE INVALUABLE FOR SPACE AND GROUND BASED ASTRONOMY WHERE LARGE FOCAL PLANES AND HIGH SENSITIVITY ARE REQUIRED.