GENERIC READOUT FOR INFRARED FOCAL PLANE ARRAYS

PROPOSED IS A MEANS OF PRODUCING A GENERIC READOUT CIRCUIT FOR INFRARED FOCAL PLANE ARRAYS (IRFPAS) THAT MAY BE USED WITH ANY INFRARED (IR) DETECTOR, OF ANY SIZE AND ARRAY CONFIGURATION, BY ELIMINATION OF THE INDIUM BUMP BONDS USING A NON-CONTACT ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECT. THE CONCEPT IS THE SOLID STATE EQUIVALENT OF A VIDICOM TUBE USING ELECTRON BEAMS GENERATED BY VACUUM MICROELECTRONICS DEVICES (VMDS) TO "READ" THE IR GENERATED SIGNALS ON PHOTOVOLTAIC, PHOTOCONDUCTIVE, SCHOTTKY BARRIER, OR PYROELECTRIC DETECTORS. THE OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I IS TO ANALYZE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE VMD INTERCONNECT CONCEPT TO PRODUCE A GENERIC READOUT THAT WILL MEET THE VARIED IRFPA REQUIREMENTS WITHIN A TACTICAL MISSION AREA. THE THEORY OF VMD OPERATION WILL BE STUDIED, MODELED, AND USED IN CIRCUIT SIMULATIONS WITH A GENERIC FPA READOUT UNIT CELL. A BREADBOARD UNIT CELL WITH GENERIC DRIVE CIRCUITRY WILL BE DESIGN, BUILT, AND INTEGRATED WITH A VMD SAMPLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE CONCEPT. BASED ON THESE ANALYSES AND TEST RESULTS, A DETAILED WORK PLAN FOR A PHASE II GENERIC IRFPA IMAGING DEMONSTRATION WILL BE DEVELOPED. DEVELOPMENT OF A GENERIC IRFPA READOUT WILL ALLOW LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION OF IRFPAS WITH INCREASED YIELD AND RELIABILITY. IN ADDITION TO THE OBVIOUS COST REDUCTION BENEFIT TO DOD, THE RESULTING PROLIFERATION OF IR SYSTEMS WILL BENEFIT OTHER GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCIAL AGENCIES FOR APPLICATIONS SUCH AS BORDER SURVEILLANCE, FIREFIGHTING, POLLUTION MONITORING, LONG DURATION SPACE MISSIONS, INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND QUALITY CONTROL, SAFETY INSPECTION, ENERGY MANAGEMENT, AND VISION ENHANCEMENT IN AUTOMOBILES AND AIRCRAFT.