Active/Passive Two-color Infrared Focal Plane

We will optimize the design of a monolithic, highly-integrated, active/passive, two-color infrared detector capable of S/MWIR avalanche photodetection, (S)MWIR passive photodetection, or LWIR passive photodetection. The structure is constructed usingback-to-back photodiodes (one designed for unity gain or avalanche operation) manufactured with well-established, band-engineered HgCdTe heterostructure techniques. In addition to its great versatility, the benefits to MDA applications is that by usingcommon electronics, optics, and cryogenic packaging, the multi-modal imager enables reduced interceptor size, weight, and power.During Phase I, we will design the proposed innovation, including material composition, doping profiles, and layer thicknesses; we will detail a manufacturing process, and we will simulate the performance of the integrated device, including each of thethree sensing modalities. We will derive the anticipated device performance benefits for MDA space interceptor applications. The market for non-defense based IR photo-detectors is expected to grow rapidly over the next 10 years. The characteristics that make multi-color IR photo-detectors suitable for defense applications also benefit many industrial and scientificapplications. Several applications include: environmental monitoring, ladar, chem./bio detection, IR spectroscopic applications in medicine and science, dual band tomographic non-destructive test, remote sensing, and thermography.