Astronomical Imaging With A Low Temperature InSb Charge Injection Device (CID)

D. Rouan; F. Lacombe; D. Tiphene; D. Stefanovitch; D. Phan Van; M. Combes; P. Lena; J. P. Chatard; A. Lussereau

doi:10.1117/12.952005

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1 May 1986 Astronomical Imaging With A Low Temperature InSb Charge Injection Device (CID)

D. Rouan, F. Lacombe, D. Tiphene, D. Stefanovitch, D. Phan Van, M. Combes, P. Lena, J. P. Chatard, A. Lussereau

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Proceedings Volume 0590, Infrared Technology and Applications; (1986) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.952005
Event: 1985 International Technical Symposium/Europe, 1985, Cannes, France

Abstract

Focal plane arrays built with indium antimonide charge injection device technology are made of a group of two coupled MIS capacitors which collect and store photon generated charge carriers. The selection of a site is accomplished by an X-Y decoding technique. This adressing method allows to read out arrays either sequentially or in group (line or area). For applications at 77 K SAT has developped bidimensionnal structures (8 x 8 and 32 x 32 elements). To extend their application to astronomy, structure parameters have been analysed at very low operating temperature and low backgrounds. For a temperature near 4 K, a saturation time over 10 seconds and a noise of 1400 carriers combined with great filling factor of the focal plane (> 80%) and the read-out efficiency (25 %), these values allow to plan the use of this device for efficient imaging. Low to very low background conditions are generally met in infrared astronomical experiments, especially in space where cold optics can be used. On the other hand very high sensitivities are required because of the weakness of the sources. Thus arrays cooled by liquid He are well adapted to such conditions since long integration times are allowed. Two prototypes of ground based infrared cameras using 8 x 8 and 32 x 32 InSb CID arrays have been developped and used on a 2 meter telescope at the "Observatoire du Pic du Midi". The systems are described and first results given. An infrared camera has been proposed by a consortium of european laboratories as a focal plane instrument for the Infrared Space Observatory project (ISO). First test results on noise, particle immmunity and integration time are given. This shows that a CID InSb array is an extremely serious candidate for such an application.

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D. Rouan, F. Lacombe, D. Tiphene, D. Stefanovitch, D. Phan Van, M. Combes, P. Lena, J. P. Chatard, and A. Lussereau "Astronomical Imaging With A Low Temperature InSb Charge Injection Device (CID)", Proc. SPIE 0590, Infrared Technology and Applications, (1 May 1986); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.952005

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