The interfacing of a new type of integrating infrared detector to an analog-to-digital converter is described, and the results of experimental tests of the complete system are presented. The detector utilizes charge storage in impurity levels rather than in potential wells associated with the device architecture. The amount of stored charge depends on the total integrated IR flux on the detector during an exposure. The stored charge is sensed by applying a readout pulse which ejects charge from the impurities by a quantum mechanical process. A greater IR flux results in less charge being sensed during a readout operation. After readout, a detector reset pulse is used to inject and restore charge in the impurity levels. Sensing of charge on readout is accomplished by an FET preamplifier. The signal is amplified and fed to a gated integrator whose output is digitized by a successive approximation analog to digital converter. Data is accumulated in a Hewlett-Packard minicomputer. Integration times from milliseconds to hours have been used in our tests, but a much wider range is possible. The detector doesn't consume any power during integration. Tests of the system usingblackbody sources have demonstrated a capability to detect a very wide range (2 x 106) of IR intensities. Possible applications will be discussed.

Date Published: 30 November 1983
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 0395, Advanced Infrared Sensor Technology, (30 November 1983); doi: 10.1117/12.935202

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0395:
Advanced Infrared Sensor Technology
Jean Besson, Editor(s)