Abstract
There is a strong motivation for smaller pixels based on end-user demand for lower-cost, higher-resolution camera systems both for military and commercial applications. Uncooled detector technology fits the need for a low size, weight, and power system. We explore the tradeoffs and challenges to achieving pixel designs smaller than the current 17-μm state-of-the-art detectors without loss in sensitivity or resolution. For illustration we consider a 12-μm design. We also address modulation transfer function issues as the pixel size shrinks, and examine the difference between the performance of present devices and the theoretical performance limit for uncooled detectors.
Highlights
Fifteen to 20 years ago, developments in the semiconductor industry enabled the earlier generations of uncooled focal plane array (FPAs) and cameras with small format, 160 by 120 and 320 by 240 array sizes with large pixels, generally in the neighborhood of 50 × 50 μm[2]
The modulation transfer function (MTF) of the system was almost never dominated by the MTF of the optics
The instantaneous field of view (IFOV) remained constant by scaling the focal length and aperture with the pixel size
Summary
Fifteen to 20 years ago, developments in the semiconductor industry enabled the earlier generations of uncooled focal plane array (FPAs) and cameras with small format, 160 by 120 and 320 by 240 array sizes with large pixels, generally in the neighborhood of 50 × 50 μm[2]. Pixel sizes have been reduced from 50 to ∼25 μm, to 17 μm, and today uncooled camera manufacturers are looking into developing FPAs with pixels in the range of 10 to 13 μm while increasing the resolution of the arrays to a nominal 1 K × 1 K format.[1,2] The user-desired operational specifications generally require a 35- to 50-mK NETD and a 10- to 12-ms time constant with a frame rate of 30 or 60 Hz. A nominal F/1 optic is still required to obtain this sensitivity. There is interest in further shortening the time constant to 5 ms or less while maintaining good NETD performance for higher speed motion applications This raises a number of considerations, practical and theoretical, related to the benefits of making uncooled detector pixels much smaller than 17 μm.
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