Dual-Band Technology on Indium Gallium Arsenide Focal Plane Arrays

While InGaAs-based SWIR imaging technology has been improved dramatically over the past 10 years, the motivation remains to reduce Size Weight and Power (SWaP) for applications in Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). Goodrich ISR Systems, Princeton (Sensors Unlimited, Inc.) has continued to improve detector sensitivity. Additionally, SUI is working jointly with DRS-RSTA to develop innovative techniques for manufacturing dual-band focal planes to provide next generation technology for not only reducing SWaP for SWIR imagers, but also to combine imaging solutions for providing a single imager for Visible Near-SWIR (VNS) + LW imaging solutions. Such developments are targeted at reducing system SWaP, cost and complexity for imaging payloads on board UASs as well as soldier deployed systems like weapon sights. Our motivation is to demonstrate capability in providing superior image quality in fused LWIR and SWIR imaging systems, while reducing the total system SWaP and cost by enabling Short Wave and Thermal imaging in a single uncooled imager. Under DARPA MTO awarded programs, a LW bolometer (DRS-RSTA) is fabricated on a Short Wave (SW) InGaAs Vis-SWIR (SUI-Goodrich) Imager. The combined imager is a dual-band Sensor-Chip Assembly which is capable of imaging in VIS-SWIR + LW. Both DRS and Goodrich have developed materials and process enhancements to support these dual-band platform investigations. The two imagers are confocal and coaxial with respect to the incident image plane. Initial work has completed a single Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) capable of running both imagers. The team has hybridized InGaAs Focal planes to 6 '' full ROIC wafers to support bolometer fabrication onto the SW array.