Super Sensitive Solid-State Detector

Phase I will develop a breakthrough in a Infrared (IR) detector, called the Super Sensitive Solid-State Infrared Detector because it: does not require indium bumping readout technology; can detect individual IR photons between 2 and 24 micrometers; is insensitive to gamma rays; has very low dark current; and has a large dynamic range from the lowest possible flux to 10E14 photons/cm2-sec. The Super Sensitive Solid-State Detector's outstanding performance results from a unique multi-layered silicon structure. Military and commercial uses are far reaching: it will improve the performance of all passive low-background acquisition and tracking infrared systems by more than an order of magnitude, and/or reduce the cost of these systems. Commercially, devices using infrared detectors can be dramatically increased in sensitivity. Cost of these systems, for exapmle those using Co2 lasers, can be reduced because of lower power requirements.