Low-cost, Lightweight, Mid-Wave InfraRed (MWIR) Sensors

The ultimate goal of this SBIR project is to develop a technology to produce low-cost, lightweight, MidWave InfraRed (MWIR) sensors. In Phase I, the feasibility of producing a thermo-electrically cooled HgCdTe Focal Plane Array camera has beendemonstrated. In Phase II, the first major objective is to perfect the HgCdTe focal plane array and the array production technology; the second is to miniaturize the electronics operating the camera; and the third is to reduce the overall camera productioncost. In the Phase II, Fermionics will conduct a number of experiments to reduce the dark current of diodes in the HgCdTe array, and thus, to improve the array performance. In addition, Fermionics will select a subcontractor(s) to develop the miniaturizedcamera electronics. Finally, prototype cameras will be manufactured. In Phase III, MWIR HgCdTe FPA cameras will be mass-produced for the Navy and for other commercial applications. The manned land/sea/air vehicle, and infantry military market for suchsensors could be in excess of 1000 cameras per year. Additional applications such as spectroscopy, remote sensing, medical imaging, firefighting, police/border patrol, and other government/commercial/scientific applications could have a market of tens ofthousands/year. As the camera costs drop, the market for such devices is lkely to expand rapidly.