Characterization of Rockwell Scientific LWIR HgCdTe detector arrays

Future infrared space missions will undoubtedly employ passively cooled focal plane arrays (T ~ 30K), as well as passively cooled telescopes. Most long-wave detector arrays (e.g. Si:As IBC) require cooling to temperatures of ~ 6-8K. We have been working with Rockwell Scientific Company to produce ≥ 10 μm cutoff HgCdTe detector arrays that, at temperatures of ~ 30K, exhibit sufficiently low dark current and sufficiently high detective quantum efficiency, as well as high uniformity in these parameters, to be interesting for astronomy. Our goal is to achieve dark current below the target value of ~30 e-/s/pixel with at least 60mV of actual reverse bias across the diodes at T ~ 30K. To this end, Rockwell Scientific Company has delivered the first array in a new order, for characterization in Rochester. Recent array deliveries of 10μm cutoff HgCdTe bonded to a Hawaii-1RG multiplexer utilize the smallest capacitance diode type. We present preliminary results on this latest 10 μm cutoff HgCdTe low dark current detector array.