Mid-wavelength and long-wavelength infrared focal planes for smallsat applications

In this presentation, 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 (similar to 5.4 mu m), the HOT-BIRD offers a continuous adjustable cutoff wavelength, ranging from similar to 4 mu m to > 15 mu m, 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 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.