Advances in microbolometer focal plane technology at Boeing

Philip E. Howard; C. J. Han; John Elwood Clarke; John C. Stevens; Phillip A. Ely; E. Tim Fitzgibbons

doi:10.1117/12.317613

22 July 1998 Advances in microbolometer focal plane technology at Boeing

Philip E. Howard, C. J. Han, John Elwood Clarke, John C. Stevens, Phillip A. Ely, E. Tim Fitzgibbons

Proceedings Volume 3379, Infrared Detectors and Focal Plane Arrays V; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.317613
Event: Aerospace/Defense Sensing and Controls, 1998, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

This paper reviews Boeing's progress, over the last three years, in Vanadium Oxide (VO_x) uncooled microbolometer focal plane (UFPA) technology and product development. Boeing's UFPA product technology is described, including product capabilities and performance. Focal plane NETD equals 31 mK (F/1), at a 30 Hz sensor frame rate, has been demonstrated on the U3000 320 X 240 UFPA product. At a 60 Hz frame rate, the NETD (F/1) achieved on production U3000 UFPAs is typically less than 60 mK, and spatial pattern noise levels are consistently less than 33 mK after sensor level gain and offset compensation. Key improvements in VO_x tin- film technology have been the achievement of a Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR) approximately 3%, and the achievement of microbolometer resistance uniformity of approximately 1/3% ((sigma) /(mu) ) on the UFPA die. Looking into the future, this year Boeing expects to achieve NETD approximately 20 mK (F/1) with very low pattern noise, and within the next three years higher density 640 X 480 focal planes will be demonstrated with essentially equivalent NETD performance. Large high density uncooled LWIR focal planes, combined with low NETD, will make UFPA technology a prime candidate for higher performance FLIR applications.

Citation Download Citation

Philip E. Howard, C. J. Han, John Elwood Clarke, John C. Stevens, Phillip A. Ely, and E. Tim Fitzgibbons "Advances in microbolometer focal plane technology at Boeing", Proc. SPIE 3379, Infrared Detectors and Focal Plane Arrays V, (22 July 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.317613

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