Space Surveillance Application Potential of Schottky Barrier IR Sensors
Abstract
Schottky Barrier IR detection is based on the principle of internal photoemission at the surface between a Si substrate and a deposited metal. In a multi-element focal plane array (FPA), this phenomenon provides very high pixel- to-pixel uniformity, so the requirement for corrective signal processing is minimal. The use of standard silicon design and fabrication techniques simplifies detector readout and multiplexing functions and permits practical realization of sensors that contain very large staring focal planes. This report summarizes the status of FPA and camera development and includes typical imagery. For surveillance applications, the high sensitivity obtainable with these large staring arrays offers both signature and background phenomenology opportunities in the medium wavelength (MWIR) band which could not be exploited previously with scanning-type sensors. Examples of predicted surveillance sensor performance include (1) a near-term ground-based system for Day/Night detection of low-altitude space objects and (2) a future space-borne system for space missions. It is concluded that significant potential exists for future application of this technology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA180848
Entities
People
- Michael J. Cantella
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology