Performance of an Uncooled Camera Utilizing an SWIR InGaAs 256x256 FPA for Imaging in the 1.0 micrometer - 1.7 micrometer Spectral Band
Abstract
The performance of an uncooled camera utilizing an InGaAs Focal Plane Array (FPA) sensitive to the 1.0 - 1.7 micrometers IR spectrum is reported. The camera spectral sensitivity is established by the material properties of the detector array which is composed of photovoltaic detectors formed in an epitaxial layer of InGaAs with a composition which yields a lattice match with the InP substrate. The low dark current in the photovoltaic InGaAs detectors allows uncooled room temperature operation with D* above 10(exp 12) cm(sq root) Hz/W. The FPA is composed of the Sensors Unlimited In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As photodiode array indium bump bonded to a special variant of Amber s AE173 readout circuit with reduced integration capacitance which is appropriate to In0.53Ga0.47As detectors operating in the 1.0 - 1.7 micrometers spectrum. Features of the camera system include snapshot integration, variable integration time and focal plane windowing. Windowing allows readout of the full 256 x 256 array at up to 120 frames per second or readout of 128 x 128 sub array at 480 frames per second or readout of 64 x 64 sub array at 1800 frames per second. Camera output is in the form of analog video in NTSC or PAL formats and 12-bit digital output in parallel as well as serial high speed formats. A NUC processor provides a pixel by pixel gain and offset correction to image data. Uncorrected responsivity uniformity and DC uniformity of 6% - 10% sigma/mean have been observed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA399438
Entities
People
- G. Gasparian
- J. B. Barton
- J. C. Demro
- M. Lange
Organizations
- RTX