IMPROVEMENT OF IMAGING DETECTORS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE, AND ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

CHARGE COUPLED DEVICES (CCDS) WITH HIGH SENSITIVITY IN THE BLUE-VISIBLE AND ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRAL REGION ARE REQUIRED FOR MANY PROPOSED INVESTIGATIONS IN ASTRONOMY. THE BEST APPROACH TO IMPROVE CCD SENSITIVITY IN THESE WAVELENGTHS IS THINNED, BACKSIDE ILLUMINATION, BUT SUCH DEVICES ARE NOT CURRENTLY COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE. COMMERCIAL DEVICES PRODUCED IN THE PAST EXHIBITED PROBLEMS INCLUDING LOW QUANTUM EFFICIENCY, SENSITIVITY VARIATIONS, AND OPTICAL DISTORTIONS AND INTERFERENCE. RECENTLY, THE CRITICAL NEED FOR UV SENSITIVE CCDS FOR SPACE FLIGHT APPLICATIONS HAS PROMPTED RESEARCH INTO METHODS TO IMPROVE THINNED CCD TECHNOLOGY. THE BACKSIDE TREATMENTS DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS RESEARCH HAS PROVED VERY PROMISING, BUT THE USEFULNESS OF THE TECHNOLOGY FOR ROUTINE APPLICATION IS LIMITED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SUITABLE STARTING CCDS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL USE A NOVEL CCD DESIGNED TO HAVE OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE WHEN THINNED AND BACKSIDE TREATED FOR HIGH UV SENSITIVITY. TWO DIFFERENT THINNING APPROACHES WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE WHICH GIVES BEST RESULTS FROM AN OPTICAL AND ELECTRO-OPTICAL STANDPOINT. METHODS OF STABILIZING CCD SENSITIVITY FROM ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS WILL ALSO BE EXPLORED. FUTURE WORK WILL INCLUDE ANTIREFLECTION TECHNOLOGY TO MINIMIZE LOSS AND STRAY RADIATION. THE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS TO PRODUCE A TECHNOLOGY WHICH CAN BE APPLIED TO CCDS WHICH WILL RESULT IN HIGH, STABLE SENSITIVITY ACROSS A WIDE SPECTRAL RANGE FROM THE NEAR INFRARED TO SOFT X-RAYS.