Large focal planes with InGaAs detector arrays have been developed that meet the demanding requirements of astronomy and other low background systems. With high quantum efficiency between 0.9 and 1.7 μm, the InGaAs detectors are ideally suited for many SWIR applications. This paper describes two types of arrays with more than one million detector elements-one with 1280 × 1024 elements and the other with 1024 × 1024 elements-developed by Raytheon Vision Systems with detectors provided by Sensors Unlimited. The detector elements of both formats are on a 20 μm pitch. The 1024 × 1024 array utilizes a standard Virgo astronomy multiplexer (readout) that reads out the array at a maximum frame rate of 8 Hz. An innovative readout was designed for the 1280 × 1024 array with the support of DARPA's MANTIS program. This readout features a high gain front-end amplifier that can operate up to a 60 Hz frame rate and is designed to operate at room temperature. Summary performance data of each of these array types are presented.

Date Published: 31 May 2005
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 5783, Infrared Technology and Applications XXXI, (31 May 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.607635

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5783:
Infrared Technology and Applications XXXI
Bjorn F. Andresen; Gabor F. Fulop, Editor(s)