Development of Charge Transfer Devices for 1-2 Micron Imaging.
Abstract
There are a number of military applications for a passive (available illumination) night vision capability. Technological advances in image intensifiers and high performance photocathodes have resulted in night vision systems which operate in the visible and near infrared spectrum under low level moonlight and starlight illumination. These systems are, however, completely ineffective under moonless or overcast conditions because of the low level of light in the 0.5-0.9 micron region under such conditions. Since there is considerable night glow ambient illumination in the 1.0-1.8 micron wavelength region which is nearly independent of cloud-cover, one solution to this problem is the development of an imaging system which operates in this wavelength region. THE APPROACH THAT WE ARE PURSUING IN THIS PROGRAM IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NON-MIS heterojunction CCD in a narrow gap semiconductor. This approach is chosen because of the present lack of a viable MIS technology for materials other than silicon and recent developments at the Science Center on non-MIS devices. In spite of the extensive studies of III-V MIS devices, significant problems still remain to be solved in order to fabricate a useful III-V MIS CCD. While significant progress has been made in reducing the surface state density on some MIS structures, the mobile ion and insulator stability problems in low temperature deposited or anodic insulators have remained. These problems prevent the realization of an MIS CCD with stable and reproducible characteristics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 05, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA054250