Digital mid-wavelength and long-wavelength infrared focal planes for SmallSat applications

Sarath Gunapala; David Ting; Sir Rafol; Alexander Soibel; Arezou Khoshakhlagh; Sam Keo; Brian Pepper; Anita Fisher; Cory Hill; Tobias Wenger; Thomas Pagano; Michael Kelly; Justin Baker; Cristopher David; Paul Lucey; Robert Wright; Miguel Nunes; Luke Flynn; Sachidananda Babu; Parminder Ghuman

doi:10.1117/12.2596653

12 September 2021 Digital mid-wavelength and long-wavelength infrared focal planes for SmallSat applications

Sarath Gunapala, David Ting, Sir Rafol, Alexander Soibel, Arezou Khoshakhlagh, Sam Keo, Brian Pepper, Anita Fisher, Cory Hill, Tobias Wenger, Thomas Pagano, Michael Kelly, Justin Baker, Cristopher David, Paul Lucey, Robert Wright, Miguel Nunes, Luke Flynn, Sachidananda Babu, Parminder Ghuman

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11858, Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites XXV; 118580Y (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2596653
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2021, Online Only

Abstract

In this paper, we will report our recent efforts in achieving high performance in Antimonides type-II superlattice (T2SL) based infrared photodetectors using the barrier infrared detector (BIRD) architecture. The high operating temperature (HOT) BIRD focal plane arrays (FPAs) offer the same high performance, uniformity, operability, manufacturability, and affordability advantages as InSb. However, mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) HOT-BIRD FPAs can operate at significantly higher temperatures (<150K) than InSb FPAs (typically 80K). Moreover, while InSb has a fixed cutoff wavelength (~5.4 μm), the HOT-BIRD offers a continuous adjustable cutoff wavelength, ranging from ~4 μm to <15 μm, and is therefore also suitable for long wavelength infrared (LWIR) as well. The LWIR detectors based on the BIRD architecture has also demonstrated significant operating temperature advantages over those based on traditional p-n junction designs. Two 6U SmalSat missions CIRAS (Cubesat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder) and HyTI (Hyperspectral Thermal Imager) are based on JPL’s T2SL BIRD focal plane arrays (FPAs). Based on III-V compound semiconductors, the BIRD FPAs offer a breakthrough solution for the realization of low cost (high yield), high-performance FPAs with excellent uniformity and pixel-to-pixel operability. Furthermore, we will discuss the advantages of the utilization of all digital read out integrated circuits with HOT-BIRDs.

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Sarath Gunapala, David Ting, Sir Rafol, Alexander Soibel, Arezou Khoshakhlagh, Sam Keo, Brian Pepper, Anita Fisher, Cory Hill, Tobias Wenger, Thomas Pagano, Michael Kelly, Justin Baker, Cristopher David, Paul Lucey, Robert Wright, Miguel Nunes, Luke Flynn, Sachidananda Babu, and Parminder Ghuman "Digital mid-wavelength and long-wavelength infrared focal planes for SmallSat applications", Proc. SPIE 11858, Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites XXV, 118580Y (12 September 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2596653

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