Abstract
The University of Rochester infrared detector group is working together with Teledyne Imaging Sensors to develop HgCdTe 15 $\mu m$ cutoff wavelength detector arrays for future space missions. To reach the 15 $\mu m$ cutoff goal, we took an intermediate step by developing four $\sim$13 $\mu m$ cutoff wavelength arrays to identify any unforeseen effects related to increasing the cutoff wavelength from the extensively characterized 10 $\mu m$ cutoff wavelength detector arrays developed for the NEOCam mission. The characterization of the $\sim$13 $\mu m$ cutoff wavelength HgCdTe arrays at the University of Rochester allowed us to determine the key dark current mechanisms that limit the performance of these HgCdTe detector arrays at different temperatures and bias when the cutoff wavelength is increased. We present initial dark current and well depth measurements of a 15 $\mu m$ cutoff array which shows dark current values two orders of magnitude smaller at large reverse bias than would be expected from our previous best structures.
Highlights
The University of Rochester infrared detector group is working together with Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS) to develop mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) 15-μm cutoff wavelength detector arrays for future space missions
The target cutoff wavelength goal of 15 μm for this project was chosen to demonstrate the performance of HgCdTe detector arrays as a viable option for future missions aimed at studying the atmospheres of exoplanets
The dark current is measured by taking 200 nondestructive samples-up-the-ramp (SUTR)[21,22,23] in the dark with an integration time of 5.8 s between samples, where the dark current per pixel that we present here corresponds to the slope at the beginning of the signal versus time curve
Summary
The University of Rochester infrared detector group is working together with Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS) to develop mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) 15-μm cutoff wavelength detector arrays for future space missions. Future missions developed to study exoplanets would benefit from these detector arrays because solar systems with planets (or forming planets) can be detected with far better contrast at infrared rather than visible wavelengths. This technology would enable the detection of CO2 at 15 μm, a signature indicative of a terrestrial planet in the habitable zone.[1]. The first step of this project to extend the cutoff wavelength to 15 μm (LW15 arrays) was to develop HgCdTe detector arrays with a cutoff wavelength of ∼13 μm (LW13 arrays) with different array designs to mitigate dark currents, namely the expected increase in tunneling currents due to the decrease in bandgap energy relative to the LW10 devices. This step was crucial to identifying the best array design from TIS that would best guarantee the success of further increasing the cutoff wavelength to 15 μm
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