2-million-pixel SOI diode uncooled IRFPA with 15 μm pixel pitch

We report the development of a 2-million-pixel, that is, a 2000 x 1000 array format, SOI diode uncooled IRFPA with 15 mu m pixel pitch. The combination of the shrinkable 2-in-1 SOI diode pixel technology, which we proposed last year [1], and the uncooled IRFPA stitching technology has successfully achieved a 2-million-pixel array format. The chip size is 40.30 mm x 24.75 mm. Ten-series diodes are arranged in a 15 mu m pixel. In spite of the increase to 2-million-pixels, a frame rate of 30 Hz, which is the same frame rate as our former generation (25 mu m pixel pitch) VGA IRFPA, can be supported by the adoption of readout circuits with four outputs. NETDs are designed to be 60 mK (f/1.0, 15 Hz) and 84 mK (f/1.0, 30 Hz), respectively and a tau(th) is designed to be 12 msec. We performed the fabrication of the 2-million-pixel SOI diode uncooled IRFPAs with 15 mu m pixel pitch, and confirmed favorable diode pixel characteristics and IRFPA operation where the evaluated NETD and tau(th) were 65 mK (f/1.0, 15 Hz) and 12 msec, respectively.