Sensors Unlimited Inc. (SUI), a Collins Aerospace Company, has developed a large-area, high-speed, short-wave infrared (SWIR) focal plane array (FPA) to meet the field-of-view (FOV) and bandwidth requirements of LiDAR applications. Modifications to SUI’s standard InGaAs photodiode array (PDA), include junction shape, dielectric thickness, and contact metallization. These changes allow for a reduction in the effective capacitance seen by the hybridized FPA’s readout integrated circuit (ROIC) while preserving the epitaxial structure that ensures the company’s industry-leading dark current. Compared to SUI’s standard device, significant capacitance reductions have been demonstrated. Enhancements of laser pulse detection performance arising from the capacitance improvement, and suitability of the resulting device for implementation in LiDAR systems, will be discussed.
Next-generation multi-mode tracking (MMT) technology developed by Sensors Unlimited Inc. (SUI), a Collins Aerospace Company, is presented. The technology provides focal plane arays (FPAs) with pulse detection capability in addition to traditional passive imaging, enabling more compact electro-optical (EO) systems with significantly lower power consumption. SUI’s latest MMT device is a short wave infrared (SWIR) FPA that features low-noise imaging, asynchronous laser pulse detection (ALPD), and time-of-arrival (TOA) capability in every pixel in the 12 μm pitch, 1280 x 1024 array. Simulated and measured results from the new FPA’s readout integrated circuit (ROIC), the 1280MMT, are given along with a comparison to SUI’s first multi-mode tracking ROIC, the 640MMT.
For ultra-fine pixel pitch focal plane array (FPA) applications, flip-chip hybridization has advantages including high I/O density and short distance between the photodiode array (PDA) and the readout integrated circuit (ROIC). Indium has become the primary interconnect material because of its high ductility at low temperature. Successful mating of large format die becomes increasingly difficult, however, for finer pitch applications where bumps are shorter, as tolerance for bowing is low. Simultaneously, the epoxy filling process for large image format, hybridized focal planes becomes more challenging. These constraints call for tall indium bumps with high aspect ratio to accommodate die bowing and provide larger openings for the flow of fill epoxy. A process for the fabrication of highly uniform, high aspect ratio (height:diameter) indium bumps has been developed by Sensors Unlimited Inc. (SUI), a Collins Aerospace Company. The grain size of the deposited indium metal is minimized by optimizing process parameters as well as introducing intermediate metal layers underneath the indium bumps. Anisotropic deposition has been achieved by optimizing deposition rate and controlling substrate parameters. Indium bumps with aspect ratios over 2:1 and flat bump heads have been achieved. The developed bump process has been successfully applied to the fabrication of high resolution indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) FPAs. Key control parameters for bump formation will be discussed in this paper.
Sensors Unlimited Inc. (SUI), a Collins Aerospace company, has developed a short wave infrared (SWIR) photodetector device structure using isolated mesa pixels to improve the detector modulation transfer function (MTF), an important parameter in determining the overall image quality of a camera system. A combination of device fabrication and simulation has been used to evaluate the design and manufacturability of various mesa morphologies. Because mesa formation entails both the removal of some portion of the active region of the photodetector and the introduction of non- planar surfaces, any MTF improvement must be balanced against a loss of quantum efficiency (QE) and potentially higher dark current. Focal plane arrays (FPAs) based on the optimal mesa morphology have been fabricated and compared for MTF and QE performance at the camera level to FPAs built using SUI’s standard pixel structure. The mesa structure described herein is implemented on the front side of the photodetector and could also be implemented across all of SUI’s backside-illuminated (i.e., VIS/SWIR, NIR/SWIR, SWIR) structures for applications where a premium is placed on MTF performance.
We demonstrate a 1050-nm spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) system with a 12 mm imaging depth in air, a 120 kHz A-scan rate and a 10 μm axial resolution for anterior-segment imaging of human eye, in which a new prototype InGaAs linescan camera with 2048 active-pixel photodiodes is employed to record OCT spectral interferograms in parallel. Combined with the full-range complex technique, we show that the system delivers comparable imaging performance to that of a swept-source OCT with similar system specifications.
Fourier domain optical coherence tomography requires either a linear-in-wavenumber spectrometer or a computationally
heavy software algorithm to recalibrate the acquired optical signal from wavelength to wavenumber. The first method is
very sensitive to the position of the prism incorporated in the spectrometer, while the second method drastically slows
down the system speed when it is implemented on a serially oriented central processing unit. In this manuscript, a
Fourier domain ultra-fast optical coherence tomography system operating in the 1 μm range with real-time data resampling
is presented for the first time. It utilizes a newly released 1024 pixels line scan InGaAs camera able to acquire
data as fast as 91,900 lines per second. To demonstrate the performance of the system, images from a thumb of a
volunteer obtained with real-time processing and displaying are shown.
The design and development of a new, flexible, linear array readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for a new family of linear
array detectors are described in this paper. The detector technology used is based on indium-gallium-arsenide (InGaAs)
and includes low dark current versions with room temperature wavelength response cutoff of 1.7 microns and versions
with altered stoichiometry to shift the room temperature absorbance cutoff wavelength to 2.55 microns. Discussion
includes choice of features to cover many applications, testing methods, and evaluation of the first versions produced.
The result will be a highly flexible linear array family, with versions matched to biological imaging, hot process
inspection, pharmaceutical pill inspection, agricultural sorting and contaminant rejection, plastics recycling, moisture
monitoring of continuous web processes.
Imaging in the short wave infrared (SWIR) can bring useful contrast to situations and applications where visible or thermal imaging cameras are ineffective. This paper will define the short wave infrared technology and discuss developing imaging applications; then describe newly available 2-D (area) and 1-D (linear) arrays made with indium-gallium-arsenide (InGaAs), while presenting the wide range of applications with images and videos. Applications mentioned will be web inspection of continuous processes such as high temperature manufacturing processes, agricultural raw material cleaning and sorting, plastics recycling of automotive and consumer products, and a growing biological imaging technique, Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.
Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) is a rapidly growing imaging technique for high-resolution
visualization of structures within strongly scattering media. It is being used to create 2-D and 3-D images in biological
tissues to measure structures in the eye, image abnormal growths in organ tissue, and to assess the health of arterial
walls. The ability to image to depths of several millimeters with resolutions better than 5 microns has driven the need to
maximize the image depth, while also increasing the imaging speed. Researchers are using short-wave-infrared light
wavelengths from 1 to 1.6 microns to penetrate deeper in denser tissue than visible or NIR wavelengths. This, in turn,
has created the need to increase the line rates of InGaAs linear array cameras by a factor of ten, while also increasing
gain and reducing dead time. This paper will describe the development and characterization of a 1024 pixel linear array
with 25 micron pitch and readout rate of over 45,000 lines per second and the resulting camera. This camera will also
have application for machine vision inspection of hot glass globs, for sorting of fast moving agricultural materials and
for quality control of pharmaceutical products.
Imaging in the Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) provides unique surveillance capabilities, both with passive illumination from the night glow in the atmosphere or with active illumination from covert LED or eye-safe lasers. Spectral effects specific to the 0.9 to 1.7 um wavelength range reveal camouflage and chemical signatures of ordinance. The longer wavelength range also improves image resolution over visible cameras in foggy or dusty environments. Increased military interest in cameras that image all laser range finders and target designators on the battlefield has driven development of a new class of uncooled InGaAs cameras with higher resolution and larger field of view than previously available. Current and upcoming needs include:
imaging in all lighting conditions, from direct sunlight to partial starlight while using minimal power;
range gating the camera to image through obscurants or beyond unimportant objects; and
high speed capture of muzzle flare, projectile tracking, guide star and communications laser-beam tracking and wavefront correction. This paper will present images from new COTS cameras now available to address these needs and discuss the technology roadmap for further improvements.
A survey of the industrial process control applications using array spectrometers. Includes discussion of desirable features of an industrial spectrometer system.
Real-time multi-channel Optical Emission Spectroscopy was used to record then analyze a color change in an argon plasma. It is shown to be an effective diagnostic tool with value as an on-line monitor where it can be used to call process endpoint while simultaneously testing for undesirable conditions.
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