ULTRA-HARD, SI-BASED LWIR FPA FOR ADVANCED SEEKERS

ELECTRO-OPTEK PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AN INNOVATIVE LARGE-AREA, LONG WAVELENGTH INFRARED (LWIR) DETECTOR ARRAY THAT CAN OPERATE AT ROOM AS WELL AS CRYOGENIC TEMPERATURES, AND IS EXTREMELY RADIATION HARD. THE FABRICATION OF THE ARRAY USES ESTABLISHED TECHNOLOGIES OF MICRO-MACCHINING AND MICROELECTRONIC PROCESSING OF SILICON (SI) WAFERS. THE DETECTOR ELEMENTS OF THE ARRAY ARE FORMED BY AN ULTRA-THIN BOLMETER MATERIAL POSSESSING A HIGH IMMUNITY TO NUCLEAR RADIATION EFFECTS, AND THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE KNOW. THE READOUT ELECTRONIC MICROCIRCUIT IS FABRICATED ON THE SAME SILICON CHIP NEXT TO THE ELEMENTS. THE RESULTANT DETECTOR ARRAYS WILL POSSESS FEATURES OF RADIATION HARDNESS, LOW COST, LOW WEIGHT, HIGH RESPONSIVITY AND HIGH SENSITIVITY. THE HIGH RADIATION HARDNESS IS DUE ITS ULTRA THINNESS. THE LOW COST IS DUE TO A SINGLE BACH PROCESS IN THE ARRAY FABRICATION. THE LOW WEIGHT IS DUE TO A MONOLITHIC ARRAY STRUCTURE REQUIRING NO COOLING. THE HIGH RESPONSIVITY IS DUE A LARGE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE (>600% COMPARED TO 0.2% FOR A CONVENTIONAL BOLOMETER) OF OUR NEW BOLOMETER MATERIAL. THE HIGH SENSITIVITY IS DUE TO THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF HIGH RESPONSIVITY, LOW NOISE AND HIGH THERMAL ISOLATION OF THE BOLOMETER FROM ITS SURROUNDINGS.