PROCEEDINGS ARTICLE | August 26, 2010
Proc. SPIE. 7780, Detectors and Imaging Devices: Infrared, Focal Plane, Single Photon
KEYWORDS: Staring arrays, Readout integrated circuits, Infrared sensors, Astronomy, Sensors, Quantum efficiency, Nondestructive evaluation, Space telescopes, Semiconducting wafers, James Webb Space Telescope
Raytheon Vision Systems (RVS) has developed a family of high performance large format infrared detector arrays
whose detectors are most effective for the detection of long and very long wavelength infrared energy. This paper
describes the state of the art in mega-pixel Si:As Impurity Band Conduction (IBC) arrays and relevant system
applications that offers unique off-the-shelf solutions to the astronomy community. Raytheon's Aquarius-1k, developed
in collaboration with ESO, is a 1024 × 1024 pixel high performance array with a 30μm pitch that features high quantum
efficiency IBC detectors, low noise, low dark current, and on-chip clocking for ease of operation. This large format array
was designed for ground-based astronomy applications but lends itself for space based platforms too. The detector has
excellent sensitivity out to 27μm wavelength. The readout circuit has several programmable features such as low gain for
a well capacity of 11 × 106e-, high gain for a well capacity of 106e- and a programmable number of outputs (16 or 64).
Programmable integration time and integration modes, like snapshot, rolling and non-destructive integrations, allow the
Aquarius to be used for a wide variety of applications and performance. A very fast full frame rate of 120Hz is achieved
with 64 outputs (32 outputs per side) and a programmable centered windowing will accommodate a wide range of
readout rates. The multiplexer and packaging design utilizes two alignment edges on the SCA which can be butted on
two sides for expansion to 2k × 1k and wider focal planes. Data is shown on several focal plane arrays to demonstrate
that very low noise and high quantum efficiency performance has been achieved. This array leverages over thirty years
of experience in both ground and space based astronomy sensor applications. The technology has been successfully
demonstrated on programs such as NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and Japan's Akari Space Telescope, and will be
used on the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) aboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
