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Defence Science Journal, Vol. 63, No. 6, November 2013, pp. 555-570, DOI : 10.14429/dsj.63.5755
 2013, DESIDOC

Status of Cooled and Uncooled Infrared Detectors at SCD, Israel

Philip Klipstein*, Udi Mizrahi, Rami Fraenkel, and Itay Shtrichman
Semi Conductor Devices, Haifa 31021, Israel
*
E-Mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
For the highest end mid-wave-infrared applications, SCD, France offers a family of cryogenically cooled
detectors with background limited performance (BLIP). The matured InSb planar technology is implemented
in a variety of focal plane arrays, from a 320 x 256 format with a 30 µm pitch to a 1280 x 1024 format with a
15 µm pitch, all of which are operated at 77K. A major challenge is to reduce the cooling requirements. Then
substantial reductions in size, weight, and power (SWaP) can be achieved by using a smaller cooler and Dewar
assembly. SCD’s new epi-InSb detectors, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, have a BLIP temperature of ~100
K at F/3. This enhanced operating temperature reduces the required cooling power by ~20 % compared with the
conventional 77 K operation. For a very high operating temperature, we have developed the new XBn-InAsSb
detector with a 4.2 µm cut-off wavelength. This detector exhibits a BLIP temperature of ~160K at F/3 and a
reduction in cooling power of ~60 %. These HOT detectors enable an improved range of solutions, including
faster cool-down time and mission readiness, longer mission times, and higher cooler reliability. We can also
exploit their reduced dark current to obtain an enhanced signal to noise ratio at lower operating temperatures.
The well-established 25 µm pitch family of uncooled µ-Bolometer detectors has two basic formats, 384 x 288
and 640 x 480, and several sensitivity grades. The very high sensitivity 25 µm pitch detector has been demonstrated
at F/2.4 for mid-range systems. The wide-band detector is optimized for both the long-wave-infrared and mid-wave-
infrared spectral bands. Recently we developed the new 17 µm pitch family of detectors. The 640 x 480 format is
a leading candidate for applications such as thermal weapon sights, driver vision enhancers and other mid-range IR
systems. The 17 µm family is currently being expanded with the high sensitivity grade and with the addition of two
new formats: the compact 384 x 288 for low SWaP applications, and the large 1024 x 768 format for applications
requiring high resolution and a wide field of view.
Keywords: Infrared, photon detector, focal plane array, micro-bolometer

NOMENCLATURE MWIR Mid-wave-infrared

T Temperature NETD Noise equivalent temperature difference
I Current NUC Non uniformity correction
I0 Dark current prefactor QE Quantum efficiency
∆E Activation Energy QVGA Quarter video graphics array (Format)
λ Wavelength ROIC Read out integrated circuit
AL Active layer RNU Residual non uniformity
ARC Anti reflection coating SNR Signal to noise ratio
BrL Barrier layer SWaP Size, weight and power
BLIP Background limited performance TWS Thermal weapons sight
CL Contact layer TDI Time delay integration
DVE Driver vision enhancer VGA Video graphics array (Format)
FOV Field of view VHS Very high sensitivity
FPA Focal plane array VLSI Very large scale integration
G-R Generation-recombination WB Wide band
HH Hand held XGA Extended graphics array (Format)
HOT High operating temperature
HS High sensitivity 1. INTRODUCTION
IDCA Integrated dewar cooler assemblies In this paper we present a short review of some of the
IFOV Instantaneous field of view recent developments in infrared (IR) focal plane array (FPA)
LWIR Long-wave-infrared technology at SCD, Israel. This technology can be divided
MBE Molecular beam epitaxy into two broad classes which are based on essentially different
MCT Mercury Cadmium Telluride
physical principles, materials and processes. The first class
MTF Modulation transfer function
Received 17 September 2013, online published 18 December 2013

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 Def. SCI. J., Vol. 63, No. 6, november 2013

constitutes arrays of photovoltaic devices made from the InAs1- limited MCT device. This apparent disadvantage is offset by
x
Sbx family of narrow bandgap semiconductors. Each device the higher uniformity and pixel operability, together with the
is bonded with an indium pillar to a pixel of a silicon read significantly lower cost per pixel of InSb, making it the current
out integrated circuit (ROIC), fabricated by standard silicon favourite for large scale arrays5.
VLSI methods. The whole assembly is cooled with a miniature At SCD we have adopted two approaches for reducing
Stirling or Joule-Thompson cooler in order to reduce the dark the dark current in InSb like FPAs, in order to close the gap
current to a level significantly below the photocurrent signal with MCT while maintaining all of the advantages of InSb,
produced when light is absorbed. We have recently developed including scalability to large areas at affordable cost. The first
and patented a new type of photovoltaic device based on approach involves reducing the concentration of G-R centres at
InAsSb/AlSbAs hetero-structures, which we have called the p-n junction of our InSb diodes, while the second uses a new
an XBn device. This technology can be said to supercede patented InAs1-xSbx n-type ‘bariode’ technology to eliminate
technologies based on homostructure photodiodes, and it has the G-R current entirely6,7. Bariodes (‘Barrier-diodes’) can
led to a substantial reduction in the FPA cooling requirement. provide the same low diffusion limited dark current as MCT
The FPA cooling requirement is entirely eliminated in photodiodes with the same active layer bandgap. However,
the second class of detector technology. This technology uses they utilize III-V semiconductor materials and also offer
a silicon micro-bolometer in each pixel with a weak thermal processing advantages.
connection to the rest of the silicon ROIC. Small temperature The new n-type bariode detector8, also known as an XBnn
changes induced by the absorption of infrared radiation lead detector, has a cut-off wavelength of approximately 4.1µm and
to significant variations in the resistance of a Vandium oxide is based on a heterostructure design that can be grown with high
resistor evaporated on the bolometer surface. The device is quality on commercially available substrates. The XBnn detector
most sensitive in the long wave infrared (LWIR) spectral region contains an n- or p-type contact layer made from InAs0.91Sb0.09
(8-12 µm) although we shall discuss devices with a significant or GaSb (X), a barrier layer made from n-type AlSb0.91As0.09
mid wave infrared (MWIR) response (3-5 µm), also. All of (Bn), and an active layer made from n-type InAs0.91Sb0.09 (n).
the cooled detectors that we shall discuss, both photodiode and These compositions are all closely lattice matched to GaSb,
XBn, operate in the MWIR. which can be used as the substrate. Figure 1 shows a schematic
band diagram for an nBnn device (X = n-type InAs0.91Sb0.09) at
2. COOLED InAsSb BASED DETECTORS operating bias, where no depletion exists in the active layer.
2.1 Diodes and Bariodes Note that all members of the n-type bariode family contain the
The MWIR ‘window’ in the atmosphere is important same n-type barrier and active layer unit (‘Bnn’). The members
for thermal sensing because it spans optical wavelengths of the polarity inverted p-type bariode family all contain the
from 3 µm to 5 µm where all room temperature objects emit same p-type barrier and active layer unit (‘Bpp’). The latter can
significant quantities of electromagnetic radiation. High be realized using a Type II Superlattice as the active layer and
performance photodiode FPA detectors operating in the are discussed elsewhere9. In both cases the barrier blocks the
MWIR are usually made from the semiconductors Mercury flow of majority carriers, while minority carriers have a clear
Cadmium Telluride (MCT) or Indium Antimonide (InSb). path through the structure.
One of the limiting factors in detector performance is the ‘dark Both of our new technologies involve MBE growth. In
current’ that arises from thermal excitation of charge carriers the case of InSb diodes, a high quality homostructure is grown
across the semiconductor bandgap. In the ‘diffusion limit’ this on an InSb substrate and diodes are isolated by etching a
dark current is from minority carriers excited in the photon mesa structure through the p-n junction. Because implantation
absorbing active layer which diffuse towards the collecting
contact. A diffusion limited current can be achieved in the best
MCT FPAs, which are grown on expensive Cadmium Zinc
Telluride substrates1. In contrast, even the best InSb FPAs
are generation-recombination (G-R) limited2. In this limit,
Shockley-Read-Hall traps3,4, created by imperfections in the
semiconductor crystal lattice, provide energy states that lie in
the semiconductor bandgap. These act as ‘stepping stones’ for
electrons and holes to pass through when they are thermally
excited. In the depletion region of the diode p-n junction, a
built-in electric field exists which separates the electrons and
holes before they can recombine. This provides a powerful
driving force for the dark current. The dark current in InSb
FPAs is therefore significantly higher than in MCT FPAs.
Both InSb and MCT detectors must be cooled n Bn n
cryogenically, typically with a miniature Joule Thomson or (Contact layer) (Barrier layer) (Active layer)
Stirling cycle refrigerator. The higher dark current in InSb is
usually suppressed by operating the FPA at a temperature some Figure 1. Schematic band diagram of an nB nn bariode at
tens of degrees Kelvin colder than the equivalent diffusion operating bias.

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 Klipstein, et al.: Status of Cooled and Uncooled IR Detectors at SCD, Israel

damage is avoided, they have a much lower concentration of our MBE based epi-InSb diode and InAs0.91Sb0.09 bariode
G-R centres than our standard planar p-n junctions. The dark technologies have important consequences on the size (S),
current is thus reduced according to the ratio of concentrations weight (W) and required cooling power (P), or SWaP, of the
of G-R centres in the standard and MBE grown structures. This integrated Dewar cooler assemblies (IDCAs) made with these
is shown schematically by the grey curves in Fig. 2, which FPA detectors. Table 1 shows values of the IDCA parameters
display typical plots of the logarithm of the dark current vs. the related to closed cycle Stirling cooler performance at an
reciprocal of the temperature. The steeper part of each curve ambient temperature of 23 °C, for planar and epi-InSb diodes
is diffusion limited dark current and the less steep part is G-R and InAs0.91Sb0.09 bariodes. The similar cool down times
limited. For a given dark current the operating temperature for planar and epi-InSb reflect the trade-off between a larger
is increased, according to the grey horizontal arrow drawn in cooler for a smaller operating temperature and vice versa. The
Fig. 2. Note that for epi-InSb the cut-off wavelength is 5.4 µm, successive increases in operating temperature on going from
as for standard planar InSb. planar to epi-InSb diodes to InAs0.91Sb0.09 bariodes deliver a
considerable reduction in required cooling power. Size and
weight are also reduced substantially (for example using the
Ricor K562S cooler instead of K561), leading to an IDCA with
a much reduced SWaP. Table 1 also shows that the cooler
(and IDCA) reliability increases significantly as the operating
temperature is raised.
Table 1. Compares some of the key IDCA parameters related
to closed cycle Stirling cooler performance, for the
standard planar and MBE based FPAs.

Planar InAs0.91Sb0.09
Parameter epi-InSb
InSb Bariode
Ricor Cooler type (max K561 K562S K562S
heat load) (0.3W) (0.25W) (0.25W)

Weight 290 g 185 g 185 g

FPA Operating
77 K 95 K 150 K
temperature
Figure 2. Schematic Arrhenius plot of temperature dependence
Cooling power 5W 4W 2W
of the dark current in InSb diodes and InAs0.91Sb0.09
Cool down time 6 min 6 min 3 min
diodes and bariodes grown by MBE. The diffusion
and G-R limited portions of the InAs0.91Sb0.09 curves Reliability (MTTF) 5,000 h 5,800 h >10,000 h
are labeled.

In an XBnn (or XBpp) detector, the bulk G-R current is 2.2 System Performance vs Cut-off Wavelength
totally suppressed by excluding the depletion electric field When going to shorter MWIR cut-off wavelengths, the
from the narrow bandgap photon absorbing active layer photon flux is reduced dramatically. Combined with the small
material (as shown in Fig. 1). The black lines in Fig. 2 show pixel area, it would seem at first sight that a higher noise
a comparison between an ideal standard InAs0.91Sb0.09 diode equivalent temperature difference (NETD) would result and
and an InAs0.91Sb0.09 n-type bariode. Note that the crossover the radiometric performance would be degraded significantly
temperature T0 between diffusion and G-R limited dark current at the system level. However, the short cut-off wavelength
is higher in InAs0.91Sb0.09 because it has a larger bandgap than turns out to have major advantages for applications related to
InSb8. Since the operating point in the bariode is only limited long range observation. In standard atmospheric conditions,
by diffusion, the operating temperature is increased relative the optical transmission at wavelengths shorter than that of the
to the diode, according to the horizontal black arrow drawn CO2 absorption line (4.2 - 4.4 µm) is much higher than the
in Fig. 2. In this way we have achieved InAs0.91Sb0.09 bariode transmission at longer wavelengths. For example, in the ninth
detector operation at F/3 with background limited performance line of Table 2 a comparison is made between 2 detectors, one
(BLIP) at temperatures exceeding 160 K, more than doubling having a cut-off off wavelength of 4.9 µm and a calculated
the traditional InSb operating temperature. NETD of 23 mK and the other with a cut-off wavelength of
Note that in both epi-InSb and XBnn InAs0.91Sb0.09, the 4.1 µm and a calculated NETD of 63 mK. Due to the better
devices can be operated at a lower temperature, more typical of atmospheric transmission at shorter cut-off wavelengths, the
planar InSb, in which case they both have an extremely small detection ranges of both detectors are similar. It should be
dark current. This is good for applications where the incident noted that shorter wavelengths result in smaller diffraction
photon intensity is very low and the dark current would effects, and the resulting improvement in spatial resolution
otherwise limit the SNR. also contributes to an increased detection range.
The reductions in dark current and the corresponding In the rest of this section, simulations of system performance
increases in operating temperature that can be achieved with are presented for two spectral windows, 3.4 µm – 4.1 µm and

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3.4 µm – 4.9 µm, corresponding to the sensitivity ranges for of 1 °C is assumed in the landscape. In the simulation the same
XBnn and InSb detectors, respectively (for InSb, an external temperature is used for the landscape, the atmosphere and the
cold filter is used to cut-off the radiation at 4.9 µm). In the optics. U.S. Standard atmospheric absorption spectra are used
simulations, the detector dark current in the first window is that for hot scenery at 27 °C and a sub-arctic atmosphere is used for
typical of an XBnn detector operating at 150 K, while in the cold environmental temperatures of 0 °C and -20 °C.
second it is typical of an epi-InSb detector operating at 95 K. At It is possible to see from Fig. 3, that there is an improvement
low environmental temperatures (-20 °C), however, the XBnn in the SNR at first, as the cut-off wavelength increases, but then
temperature is lowered to 140 K, in order to reduce the dark the SNR decreases near the CO2 absorption line, due to the
current further and improve the signal to noise ratio (SNR). combined effects of stronger absorption and stray light from the
The dark current behaviour of the two detector families will atmosphere that increases the noise without contributing to the
be discussed in detail in the two sections following this one. signal. As the cut-off wavelength is increased further, the SNR
For the system level performance, we first calculate the starts to increase again. At a high environmental temperature,
SNR as a function of the cut-off wavelength. This calculation it is apparent from Fig. 3, that the SNR in the 3.4 µm – 4.1 µm
takes atmospheric absorption into account, which reduces the window is better than SNR in the full MWIR window. At lower
signal especially for long target distances, and also atmospheric scene temperatures however (0 °C and -20 °C), the effect of the
emission and the emission of the optics, which both contribute absorption of the atmosphere above the CO2 line improves and
to the noise. In the following calculations, two different systems total flux also plays a dominant roll, so the resulting SNR is
are considered. One is a hand held system with F/4, 200 mm higher in the full MWIR window. Nevertheless, it is clear that
optics, operated at 60 Hz and an integration time of 16 msec. the SNR in the 3.4 µm – 4.1 µm band is greater than 4 in all
The other system is for long range observation applications cases, which is sufficient to allow a good quality image even
with F/5.5, 900 mm optics. This system works at a slower frame in low temperature conditions. We believe that SNR=2 is the
rate of 25 Hz with an integration time of 40 msec. In Fig. 3, the threshold for getting a landscape image in the system.
SNR is presented versus cut-off wavelength (a) for the hand In Table 2, the detection and identification ranges at
held detector system looking at scenery 5 km away, and (b) for 90 % probability are compared for two detectors in the two
the long range observation system looking at scenery 15 km spectral windows (3.4 µm - 4.1 µm and 3.4 µm - 4.9 µm).
away. For each system, three environmental temperatures are The comparison is made for the two systems mentioned above
considered, -20 °C, 0 °C, and 27 °C, and a temperature contrast and for two standard targets: a NATO panel of size 2.3 m ×

Table 2. A comparison between the detection and identification ranges at 90 % probability for two detectors (short and long range)
in two spectral windows (3.4 µm - 4.1 µm and 3.4 µm - 4.9 µm).

3.4 µm - 4.1µm 3.4 µm - 4.9 µm

System – target Detector Detection Identification Detector NETD Detection Identification
NETD (mK) (90%) (km) (90%) (km) (mK) (90%) (km) (90%) (km)

27 °C
1. Long range – NATO 26 27.8 6.7 19 23 6.4
2. Hand held – NATO 29 10.2 1.9 18 9.3 1.9
3. Long range – Human 26 15.6 2.8 19 15.1 2.8
4. Hand held – Human 29 4.6 0.8 18 4.5 0.8
0 °C
5. Long range – NATO 40 34 6.7 17 32.3 6.8
6. Hand held – NATO 45 10.5 1.8 18 10.9 1.9
7. Long range – Human 40 15.9 2.7 17 15.7 2.8
8. Hand held – Human 45 4.5 0.8 18 4.6 0.8
-20 °C
9. Long range – NATO 63 31.4 6.5 23 31 6.6
10. Hand held – NATO 74 9.9 1.7 26 10.2 1.9

11. Long range – Human 63 15.6 2.7 23 15.5 2.8

12. Hand held – Human 74 4.3 0.7 26 4.6 0.8

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 Klipstein, et al.: Status of Cooled and Uncooled IR Detectors at SCD, Israel

5 Km short range, 27 °C 15 Km long range, 27 °C

5 Km short range, 0 °C 15 Km long range, 0 °C
5 Km short range, -20 °C 15 Km long range, -20 °C
SNR=2 SNR=2

snr
snr

cut-off waveelength (µm) cut-off waveelength (µm)

Figure 3. SNR versus cutoff for (a) a short range hand held system looking at scenery 5 km away and (b) a long range observation
system looking at scenery 15 km away. For each system, 3 environmental temperatures are tested (-20 °C, 0 °C and 27 °C)
where a temperature contrast of 1 °C in the landscape is assumed. In each plot, the dashed line indicates SNR=2, which
is taken to be the threshold for a meaningful image.

2.3 m and a human target 1.5 m × 0.5 m, with temperature K with no loss of performance. The equivalence of performance
differences relative to their surroundings of 1.25 °C and 5 °C, is demonstrated in the next two figures, which compare the
respectively. The same environmental temperature range is NETD distributions and the stability of the residual non-
considered as above (-20 °C, 0 °C, and 27 °C). It is apparent uniformity (RNU) to temperature drift (so called V-curves),
from Table 2, that in most scenarios both spectral bands have respectively, for Pelican planar and epi-InSb FPAs. In Fig. 5,
similar performance, except for the high temperature and long the NETD distributions are shown for planar InSb at 80 K,
range application, where the spectral band of 3.4 µm - 4.1 µm and epi-InSb at 95 K, measured in front of a 45 °C black body
has an advantage due to relatively high atmospheric absorption with an F/4.1 aperture and a 60 % well fill. They are virtually
above the CO2 line in a standard atmosphere. identical. In Fig. 6, the V-curve for epi-InSb at 95 K is similar
to that of planar InSb at 80 K. The V-curve is a plot of the RNU
2.3 Performance of Epi-InSb Diode FPA
The temperature dependence of the dark current in planar
implanted InSb and Epi-InSb FPAs with a 15 µm pitch is Planar InSb
compared in Fig. 4. The Epi-InSb FPA was fabricated by mesa
Epi-InSb
etching an InSb epitaxial p-n structure grown on a 3’ InSb
Idark (t)/ Idark (epi, 95k)

substrate in a Veeco Gen 200 MBE machine. Both the planar

and epi-InSb FPAs were bonded to SCDs Pelican ROIC (640
× 512, 15 µm pitch). For ease of comparison, the dark current
has been normalized to that at the epi-InSb FPA operating
temperature, T = 95 K (1000/T = 10.53). The lines through
the points are fits to the data based on the G-R formula: I =
I0T3/2exp(-∆E/kT) where k = Boltzman’s constant. In both
cases, ∆E = 0.12 eV, which corresponds to approximately half
the bandgap of InSb at low temperatures, exactly as expected
for G-R limited behaviour10. The prefactors, I0, are in the ratio
17.3, which represents the factor by which the dark current has
been decreased by going to the MBE based technology. Note
that the same dark current is achieved at 80 K in planar InSb
1000/t (K-1)
and 95 K in epi-InSb.
Since the quantum efficiency (QE) is comparable (> 80%) Figure 4. Temperature dependence of the mean dark current
for both technologies, the reduction of the dark current in epi- of Pelican FPAs (15 µm pitch), with planar (open
InSb allows the FPA operating temperature to be increased to 95 points) and epi-InSb (solid points) diodes.

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 Def. SCI. J., Vol. 63, No. 6, november 2013

(at a well fill of 45 %) as the FPA temperature is varied from

its calibration temperature. The calibration temperature is the
Epi-InSb
temperature at which the minimum of the V-curve is located.
The calibration was performed using a standard two point non Planar InSb
uniformity correction11, at well fill values of 30 % and 60 %,

rnu (std/dr)(%)
respectively. The V-curve is a measure of the stability of the
FPA image quality with respect to temperature drift, where
a wider curve corresponds to a greater stability. Epi-InSb at
95 K has a width of 7 K at RNU=0.1% and is actually more
stable than planar InSb at 80 K, whose width is 4K. At 80 K the
V-curve for epi-InSb is much wider than that for planar InSb,
indicating the robustness of its RNU to temperature drift.
In Fig. 7 we show the temperature dependence of the
NETD at F/4.1, and the pixel operability, in an epi-InSb
Pelican FPA. It may be seen that the NETD hardly changes
over a range of temperature up to about 100 K. Similarly, the
number of defects, determined by SCD’s standard production
line criteria, essentially does not change in this temperature temperature (K)
range. The pixel operability remains above 99.8 % up to 100 Figure 6. V-curves for implanted planar InSb (open) and epi-
K. This shows that the epi-InSb Pelican detector has a useful InSb (solid) Pelican FPAs, calibrated by a standard
operating range up to, and even beyond, 100 K. 2 point correction at either 80 K or 95 K.
An important issue in FPA image quality is pixel cross
talk. This is the fraction of the light signal falling on a given operating temperature in epi-InSb has been achieved without
pixel that is detected by one of its neighbours. It is most any degradation of the image quality, even at the smallest pitch
conveniently quantified by the Modulation Transfer Function of 15 µm.
(MTF). The MTF is the amplitude of a spatially periodic The final proof is in the image itself, examples of which
signal detected by the FPA as a function of the signal’s spatial are given in Fig. 9 for a Pelican epi-InSb FPA with an aperture
frequency. Details of the method of its measurement are given of F/4.1, at temperatures of 95 K and 110 K, respectively. Even
in Shtrichman12, et al. In Fig. 8, MTF curves are compared for at 110 K, the image quality is very good, and only begins to
both planar and epi-InSb FPAs with three different pitches: 30 degrade noticeably above 120 K.
µm, 20 µm, and 15 µm, corresponding to SCDs Blue Fairy,
Sebastian and Pelican ROICs, respectively. The epi-InSb MTF 2.4 Performance of XB nn InAsSb Bariode FPA
curves are wider than the corresponding curves for planar InSb Except where stated otherwise, the InAs0.91Sb0.09 n-type
for the two largest pitches, and are essentially identical for the bariode structures discussed in this section were grown lattice
smallest pitch. Together Figs. 5-8 demonstrate that the higher matched to 2″ or 3″ GaSb substrates, in a Veeco Gen III MBE
machine. The principal layers in the bariode structures were a
normalised pixel count

operability (%)
NETD (mK)

NETD (mK)
temperature (K)
Figure 5. Comparison of the NETD distributions in Pelican
FPAs, with implanted planar InSb diodes at 80 K and Figure 7. Temperature dependence of the NETD and the pixel
epi-InSb diodes at 95 K. The black body temperature operability of an epi-InSb Pelican FPA, measured
was 45 °C and the measurement was performed with with an aperture of F/4.1 in front of a Black Body
an aperture of F/4.1. at a temperature of 30 °C.

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 Klipstein, et al.: Status of Cooled and Uncooled IR Detectors at SCD, Israel

thick (1.5-3 μm) n-type InAs0.91Sb0.09 photon absorbing active a correction of 36 meV must be subtracted in order to take
layer (AL), a thin (0.2-0.35 μm) n-type AlSb0.91As0.09 barrier into account the dependence of the bandgap on temperature
layer (BrL), and a thin (0.2-0.5 μm) n-type InAs0.91Sb0.09 contact and thereby deduce the bandgap energy10,14,15 at 150 K. This
layer (CL). The grown wafers were processed into 640 x 512 procedure yields ∆E (150 K) ~ 300 meV, which corresponds
pixel arrays, with a 15 μm pitch. In all cases, the mesas were very well to the expected bandgap energy of 302 meV (bandgap
etched to a depth greater than the thickness of the CL, and a wavelength ~ 4.1 µm) for lattice matched InAs1-xSbx15. The
common contact was made to the AL outside the active device diffusion current can be used to deduce a value of ~700 ns
area. The arrays were flip-chip bonded with indium bumps to for the minority carrier lifetime, and a value of ~ 50 µm for
SCDs Pelican or Pelican-D ROICs. Pelican is the analogue the bulk diffusion length10,14,15. At 150 K, the typical operating
version, and Pelican-D, the digital version, of SCD's 15 µm dark current density is 2-3 X 10-7 A/cm-2, corresponding to a
pitch ROIC. The substrate was usually etched away, and an pixel dark current of just a few tenths of a pico-ampere for
antireflection coating (ARC) applied. an FPA with a 15 µm pitch. This value is demonstrated in
The mean dark current in our FPAs shows identical the distribution shown in Fig. 10 for a InAs0.91Sb0.09 Pelican
behaviour to that reported previously for single devices13. n-type bariode FPA at 150 K. It has a mean value of 0.2 pA
It can be fitted to the standard dependence for Diffusion and a FWHM of 15 %. This mean value is about 50 times
limited behaviour of the form J ∝ T3exp(-∆E/kT), yielding lower than the photocurrent at F/3 for a QE of 70 % between
an activation energy of ∆E~336 meV. It was shown that 3 µm and 4 µm. Such a QE value is quite realistic, and will be
demonstrated below. It suggests that we can achieve very good
BLIP operation at 150 K, and that the detector should remain
in BLIP operation at F/3 up to ~175 K, when the photocurrent
Epi-InSb and dark current become equal.
Planar InSb
Figure 11 shows the temperature dependence of the NETD
at F/3.2, and the pixel operability, for a 15 µm pitch Pelican
D InAs0.91Sb0.09 n-type bariode FPA. The operability was
determined with similar criteria to those used for the epi-InSb
mtf

FPA shown in Fig. 7. The NETD and operability only begin to

change above 170 K, consistent with the BLIP temperature of
175 K estimated above.
Examples of some images registered with a similar Pelican
D bariode FPA to that shown in Fig. 11 are presented in Fig. 12,
for an FPA operating at temperatures between 103 K and 225 K
at an aperture of F/3.2. The image does not show any obvious
signs of degradation until temperatures above 180 K - 190 K.
These temperatures are consistent with the estimate made
above for a BLIP temperature of ~175 K. In this detector, we
spatial frequency (mm-1)
have demonstrated a NETD of 17.5 mK, as shown in Fig. 13.
Figure 8. Modulation transfer function curves for implanted Using a standard two point non uniformity correction and
planar InSb and epi-InSb, measured on FPAs with standard criteria for the identification of defective pixels,
pitches of 15 µm, 20 µm, and 30 µm. similar to those used in SCD’s matured InSb detectors, the

Figure 9. Images registered with a 640 × 512 15 µm pitch Pelican FPA at temperatures of 95 K and 110 K with an aperture of
F/4.1.

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 Def. SCI. J., Vol. 63, No. 6, november 2013

good when an internal quantum efficiency of 91 % is used. By

increasing the reflectivity of the top contact in the simulation to
~95 %, increasing the AL thickness to 5 µm and by adjusting
the thickness of the ARC for optimum performance, the upper
number of pixels

spectrum shown in Fig. 14 (b) is obtained. The internal quantum

efficiency was also increased to 95 % since the lower value
fitted above is smaller than typical. Such a detector has a cut-
off wavelength of ~4.15 µm at 50 % of maximum response,

operability (%)
NETD (mK)
dark current (pa)
Figure 10. Dark current distribution in Pelican InAs0.91Sb0.09
n-type bariode FPA at 150 K.

pixel operability at 150 K was 99.85 %.

The mean spectral response of the bariodes of an nBnn
FPA bonded to SCD’s Blue Fairy ROIC (30 µm pitch) was
measured at 150 K. The spectrum is shown as a dotted line in
Fig. 14 (a), where it is compared with the result of an optical
transfer matrix simulation (solid line)14. The bariode had a 2.6 temperature (K)
µm thick AL and an ARC with an optical thickness of 1.14 µm.
Figure 11. Temperature dependence of the NETD and the pixel
The metallic contact on the top of the mesa had a low optical
operability for an InAsSb n-type Pelican-D FPA,
reflectivity, so the device was essentially a one pass device. measured with an aperture of F/3.2 in front of a
The agreement between measured and simulated spectra is very black body at a temperature of 50 °C.

Figure 12. Images at FPA temperatures between 103 and 225K, for an n-type bariode FPA bonded to SCD’s digital Pelican D signal
processor. The F/number was F/3.2.

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 Klipstein, et al.: Status of Cooled and Uncooled IR Detectors at SCD, Israel

2.5

external qe (%)
2
counts (x104)

1.5

l (µm)
(a)
0.5

external qe (%)
0
12 14 16 18 20 22
netd (mk)
Figure 13. NETD distribution for the FPA in Figure 12 at a
black body temperature of 50 °C (Peak =17.5 mK,
standard deviation = 1.3 mK).
and a QE of >70 % between 3 µm and 4 µm. Fig. 14 (b) also
shows how the QE and cut-off wavelength of an optimized
detector increase with AL thickness.
In addition to the lattice matched InAs0.91Sb0.09 n-type
bariode FPAs grown on GaSb substrates, discussed so far, we l (µm)
have also begun investigations of non-lattice matched bariodes (b)
grown on GaAs substrates16. High quality GaAs substrates can
be supplied commercially at lower cost and with diameters Figure 14. Optical transfer matrix simulation of QE as a function
greater than the maximum 4″, currently available for GaSb. of wavelength (spectral response) at 150 K (a) for a
We have found that by first growing a suitable thick buffer one pass nBnn bariode detector with a 2.6 µm AL and
layer we can achieve comparable performance to the lattice an AR coating of optical thickness 1.14 µm (thick
matched FPAs, with negligible loss of pixel operability. The solid line), compared with the measured spectrum
lines in Fig. 15 are a ‘Rule 07 Plot’ due to Tennant showing (thick dotted line) (b) for a fully optimized two
the expected dark current for high performance MCT diode pass structure with a 3 µm, 4 µm or 5 µm AL. The
detectors1. Onto this plot have been added points to indicate internal QE values used in the simulations were 91
the typical mean dark current of our Pelican-D bariode FPAs % and 95 %, respectively.
grown on each substrate type. The FPAs were made from without compromising image performance. These advanced
wafers containing nominally identical bariode structures with detector arrays have pitches of 30 µm, 20 µm, or 15 µm and are
a 3 µm thick AL. After growth, the bandgap wavelengths of compatible with SCD's analogue and digital ROICs, available
the ALs were measured optically and found to be very similar. in formats from 320 × 256 up to 1280 × 1024. Both technologies
The solid line in the Figure is that calculated using the Tennant are based on MBE grown InAs1-xSbx with x=1 or x~0.09. These
formula1, while the two dashed lines indicate a reasonable two compositions correspond to cut-off wavelengths of around
range of uncertainty corresponding to a factor of 2.5 increase 5.4 µm and 4.1 µm, respectively. We have performed a system
or decrease from the Tennant value. The points showing the analysis which shows that the shorter cut-off wavelength
n-type bariode results fall slightly below the solid line of the actually confers some advantages on systems designed for long
Tennant formula, demonstrating that the performance of both range detection and identification, while for shorter ranges, the
the lattice matched and the non-lattice matched n-type bariode system performance is comparable in most situations. There
FPAs are entirely comparable with that of high quality diode are some applications, however, where the full MWIR window
FPAs made from HgCdTe with the same AL bandgap. is required in any range.
In epi-InSb diodes (x=1), the G-R current is reduced
2.5 Summary of Results on Diodes and Bariodes by a factor of about 17, relative to our standard planar FPA
At SCD we have developed two advanced technologies technology. Epi-InSb FPAs operate in the temperature range
for raising the operating temperature of our MWIR FPAs 95-100K with the same cut-off wavelength and performance as

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The 17 µm pitch family consists of a 640 x 480 (VGA)

format that was introduced17 in 2010. This is the leading
candidate for next generation platforms such as thermal weapon
sights (TWS), driver vision enhancers (DVE) and other mid
range applications. This family is currently being expanded
with the high sensitivity (HS) grade and with the addition of
two new formats: First, a compact 384 x 288 (QVGA) version
with a minimal footprint that will address battery operated size
Jdark (A/cm2)

weight and power (SWaP) sensitive applications, and a large

1024 x 768 (XGA) FPA for platforms requiring high resolution
and a wide field of view (FOV). Systems based on this array
have the potential to compete with older and more complex
cooled 2nd generation scanning arrays, such as MCT-TDI-
288x4.
The remainder of this section is organized as follows: In
the first part we describe the main features and radiometric
performance of three detectors: the VHS detector and its
demonstrator, the WB detector and demonstrators from the
17 µm pitch family. In the last part we present TRM3 system
1000/(le*T) [1000/(µm-K)] simulations, comparing the predicted performance of an XGA
Figure 15. Dark current comparison between MCT Rule 07 based system with state of the art 2nd generation scanning LWIR
and the mean value in Pelican-D InAs0.91Sb0.09 n-type arrays. It will be shown that similar and even better recognition
bariode FPAs operating at 150 K, one of which was ranges may be achieved with the µ-Bolometer detector under
grown on GaSb and the other on GaAs. The AL
various system constraints. This is partly due to the recent
thickness was 3.0 µm in each case.
introduction of the high sensitivity 17 µm pixel (HS) that will
for planar InSb. In XBnn InAs0.91Sb0.09 bariodes, the G-R current be described in detail.
is totally suppressed and the bariode FPAs operate at 150-160
K. At F/3, they exhibit BLIP performance up to ~175 K. 3.1 25 µm VHS Detector for Long Range
The bariode detector arrays obey MCT Rule 07 very well Applications
and exhibit dark currents similar to the best MCT diodes with The development of the 17 µm pixel has enabled us to
the same active layer bandgap. Moreover, they can be grown optimize the process for the 25 µm technology and to improve
on relatively low cost 3″ or 4″ GaSb substrates or even larger the temporal NETD. The latest improvement was achieved
GaAs substrates, making them a particularly attractive prospect by optimizing the membrane structure, enhancing the pixel
for large scale, low SWaP, staring arrays. fill factor at the expense of reducing the contact area and the
Both epi-InSb and XBnn InAs0.91Sb0.09 FPAs may also be critical dimensions of the bolometer.
operated below their standard operating temperatures, in order Very high sensitivity (VHS) 25 µm pitch FPAs, were
to reduce the dark current to a negligible value. This is useful characterized, providing NETD < 15 mK @ F/1, for a 30 µsec
in applications where the incident photon flux is particularly line integration period. The thermal time constant of the pixel
low, or where the FPA temperature is liable to drift during is < 20 msec, which is suitable for a 30Hz frame rate system. In
operation. order to validate the mechanical integrity, several samples were
packaged and then underwent the strongest thermal weapon
3. MICROBOLOMETERS sight (TWS) environmental tests. These tests were successfully
Since the introduction of its first µ-Bolometer detector completed and included various vibration cycles, mechanical
BIRD384 in 2005, SCD has expanded the product portfolio shocks and aggressive thermal cycles.
in order to address a wide spectrum of applications. For the In order to demonstrate the use of the VHS detector for
well established 25 µm pitch family we hold two basic formats long range application, we designed and integrated a single
(384 x 288 and 640 x 480) with several sensitivity grades. The FOV, long range observation system with F/2.4, IFOV of 79
tradeoff is between sensitivity and pixel time constant. Highly µrad and a clear aperture of 132 mm (Fig. 16 (a)). We have
unstable platforms may require a relatively short time constant, measured (including the lens) NETD < 70 mK with a VGA
whereas stable platforms can exploit the superior performance detector. The combination of an exceptionally small IFOV and
that is accompanied by longer ones. We have demonstrated low temporal system NETD enables the recognition of a human
successfully the use of our very high sensitivity (VHS) 25 µm and vehicle at fairly large distances, as shown in Fig. 16 (a).
pitch detector with F/2.4, for long range observation systems.
Most of the µ-Bolometer detectors are optimized to 3.2 WB Detector for LWIR and MWIR
work in the LWIR band, to enable thermal imaging. For other Most of the µ-Bolometer detectors are optimized to
applications such as situational awareness, we have developed work in the LWIR band, to enable thermal imaging. For other
the wide-band (WB) detector, where the detector absorption is applications such as situational awareness, we have developed
optimized to both the MWIR and LWIR bands. the wide-band (WB) detector, where the pixel absorption

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 Klipstein, et al.: Status of Cooled and Uncooled IR Detectors at SCD, Israel

is tuned to both the MWIR and LWIR bands, as described

in Fig. 17. Both detectors (WB and regular LW) have a
Germanium window with AR coating. For the WB detector
the window transmission between 3-14 µm is above 90 %, and

absorption (%)
for the standard detectors the window transmission between
8-14 µm is above 90 %.
The WB detector can be used as a dual band detector
(MWIR and LWIR). This mode enables us to benefit from the
two bands (without being able to separate the signal from the
two bands), the LWIR band for thermal images of a scene at
~300 K, and the MWIR band for detecting specific events in
this spectral range.
The WB detector can also be used as a MWIR detector,
with the addition of a ‘hot’ MWIR filter, at the system level. In
this mode the thermal image is relative poor, due to the lack of l (µm)
Figure 17. Pixel absorption: WB pixel (black, solid) and LW
pixel (gray, dash).
which is also the typical value for our 25 µm production line19.

Another important aspect is the ability to operate the

detector with the TEC-LESS or ‘Power Save’ mode20. In
Fig. 19 we show the variation of the NETD as a function of
FPA temperature. The behavior is relatively smooth with a
plateau below 400C, the plateau continues even for lower FPA
temperatures. For higher FPA temperatures there is some
deterioration which is due mainly to the increased contribution
of the ROIC floor noise. Still, even at 70 °C the NETD is lower
than 60 mK. Since the detector was launched, it has been
integrated successfully into various video engines and cameras
providing state of the art performance21.
In the past year special effort was devoted to the
(a) improvement of the temporal NETD or SNR of the 17 µm pitch
pixel. This was achieved via pixel architecture and process
modifications, and the outcome is the 17 µm High Sensitive
(HS) pixel. In Fig. 20 we demonstrate the temporal NETD
distribution measured for F/1 optics at a frame rate of 60 Hz.
The peak of the distribution is around 23 mk for the HS version
and 40 mk for the standard detector version. The HS penalty is
(b)
manifested in a longer time constant, but due to the relatively
Figure 16. (a) Image from range of 2 km, (b) Schematic of the
25 µm VHS F/2.4 system demonstrator.

thermal radiation in the MWIR band from targets at 300K.

3.3 17 Micron VGA for Mid-Range Applications
The basic architecture of the ROIC was presented
elsewhere18. Although it follows closely the successful
number of epa

framework of the previous 25 µm pitch designs, the new

capabilities of the 0.18 µm CMOS process support an
internal ‘coarse NUC’ (Compensation) mechanism and a
more sophisticated interface management unit. This in turn
considerably facilitates the user interface and was implemented
in all 3 designs (QVGA, VGA, and XGA).
One of the key challenges in scaling down the pixel
dimensions was to retain the high repeatability and operability
of the mature 25 µm product line. The results are shown in
operability (%)
Fig. 18 where we demonstrate the operability collected for
several production batches consisting of close to 600 VGA Figure 18. 17 µm VGA detector operability statistics (600
detectors. The majority of the detectors reside above 99.9 %, detectors).

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low thermal capacitance22 it is still below 12 msec. to the elimination of the TEC. The reduced weight compared
3.4 17 Micron QVGA for Low ‘SWaP’ Applications with a metallic package is important for various applications.
In this section we describe the next product of the 17 µm The package is shown in Fig. 21.
family that is currently in the final stages of development. It is Based on our current, rest array characterization results
a compact 384 x 288 (QVGA) version with a ceramic package we predict a temporal NETD better than 40mK @ F/1, 120 Hz.
and minimal footprint. This detector will address the fast The maximum frame rate is 100 Hz (120 for 320 x 240) with
growing segment of low SWaP battery operated applications a single video output, and 200 (240) Hz with 2 video lines.
(e.g. goggles, miniature weapon sights, etc.). This is an important feature for some applications that demand
The target specification is summarized in Table 3. The high frame rates (e.g. MWS). The product will also utilize the
main design goals are as follows: advantages of the advanced 0.18 µm CMOS technology in
• Size: small package footprint (roughly 20 x 20 cm2). terms of power and flexibility.
• Weight < 10 gm. The ‘TEC-LESS’ performance is based on the superior
• Power: TEC-LESS operation with power dissipation uniformity of the VOx process and the small deviation of the
lower than 230 mW @ 60Hz. Table 3. Target specification of the BIRD384/17 µm detector
• Affordable for mid-end and high volume applications
Special attention was devoted to size and weight reduction. Parameter Performance
The reduction was achieved by several means. Transformation Array Size
EUR (Default): 384 × 288; USA
to a ceramic package allows for a smaller pitch between the format: 320 x 240
pins. We have also eliminated the need for a vacuum pipe Temperature stabilization Not required (TECLESS)
and pumping will be done in an especially designed vacuum ≤ 35 mK @ τ < 10 mSec, 25°C and
assembly machine. The package height was reduced as well due Sensitivity (NETD)
f/1, 50 Hz Frame-Rate
Intra scene dynamic range 100K
25 / 50 Hz @ EUR Format or 30/60
Nominal frame rate
@ USA format
25/50 MHz max (Varies with frame
Master clock
rate)
1 with 25Hz/30Hz/50Hz/60Hz/120Hz
NETD (mK)

Video output frame-rate or 2 with 200Hz / 240Hz

frame-rate.
2V (0.5V÷2.7V) Nominal; Load:
Video output voltage span
Max. C ≤ 20pF, R ≥ 1 MΩ
5V analog, 1.8V digital, 3.5V video
Supplies
O/P
P ≤ 230 mW @ 60Hz Frame-Rate,
Power
One Video output
Dimensions 20 mm x 20 mm x 6 mm
temperature (°C)
Weight 10 g (Ceramic package)
Figure 19. Median temporal NETD (F/1, 60 Hz) vs FPA Operating temperature -35 ºC ÷ +65 ºC, 25°C Nominal
temperature. Storage temperature -46 ºC + 71ºC
counts

counts

NETD (mK) NETD (mK)

Figure 20. VGA detector measured temporal NETD (F/1, 60 Hz) of the HS version (left) and the standard version (right).

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 Klipstein, et al.: Status of Cooled and Uncooled IR Detectors at SCD, Israel

Figure 22. Captured images with a 210 mm focal length system:

The houses on the ridge and the power lines are 2 km
away.

Figure 21. BIRD384/17 µm package (left), compared to BIRD640/17 Table 4. Target specification of the XGA/17 µm detector
µm metallic package (right).
Parameter Performance
temporal NETD with FPA temperature as depicted in Fig.19.
Array format 1024 x 768 elements
3.5 17 Micron XGA Detector for Long Range
Sights Pitch 17 µm
Long range sights or targeting systems are extremely Readout technology Si CMOS technology 0.18 μm
demanding due to the combination of high spatial resolution,
Readout functionality/ Analogue within the XGA array,
low temporal NETD and a wide enough field of view. For Architecture Digital 14 bit output from a
practical systems it is very difficult to support these constraints proximity electronics card
simultaneously: high resolution (small IFOV) translates into
a large focal length, whereas low system NETD limits the Spectral bandwidth 8 – 14 µm
f-number. As will be shown in the next section, if we limit the Pixel operability > 99.5%
system clear aperture to a reasonable diameter (e.g. 120 mm) Maximum frame rate 60 Hz
the f-number should be at least 1.5 and even higher in order
to provide a high enough focal length and resolution. Such a Thermal time constant < 12 msec
high f-number is challenging for micro Bolometer technology Digital I/O 1.8 V CMOS
in terms of sensitivity. For this purpose SCD is developing NETD ( F/1, 30 Hz, 25 deg) < 35 mK
an XGA (1024 x 768) FPA based on the 17 µm HS pixel
FPA operating temperature -40 °C to +65 °C
technology.
Table 4 summarizes the specification of this detector. Real time compensation Internal within the ROIC
It follows closely the existing ROIC architecture (including
internal compensation) with the necessary adjustments that simulations24 comparing the expected performance of the
are due to the larger format. The improved pixel design (HS) uncooled XGA 17µm FPA with state of the art 288 x 4 MCT
supports a temporal NETD lower than 35 mK @ F/1, 30Hz TDI scanning arrays. The requirements and system constraints
which is extremely aggressive compared with current state of are as follows:
the art detectors23. • NATO target: 2.3 m x 2.3 m
One of the first samples was integrated into a demonstration • ∆T (Target-Background) = 2 °C
camera with a 210 mm focal length and F/1.5 optics. Proprietary • Atmosphere extinction coefficient = 0.16 to 0.4
algorithms were employed in order to maintain the spatial (variable)
noise (RNU) below the temporal noise. The image is shown in • Optical aperture = 120 mm (system constraint)
Fig. 22. The combination of an exceptionally small IFOV of 80 Table 5 summarizes the system parameters for the XGA
µRad and temporal system NETD of roughly 60 mK enables and typical SADAII 288 x 4 time delayed integration (TDI)
the recognition of small details at fairly large distances. The cameras. Both systems are assumed to operate at a 30 Hz frame
product is currently in the final stages of qualification. rate. For the sake of comparison we assume identical optical
transmission (approximately 80 %) and display properties.
3.6 System Performance Simulations The TRM3 calculation results for the systems described in
The XGA detector has the potential to replace or Table 5 are shown in Fig. 23. We present the target recognition
upgrade existing cooled LWIR scanning systems. In order to range as a function of atmospheric extinction for the
validate this assumption, we have performed TRM3 system µ-Bolometer XGA and MCT TDI 288 x 4 array respectively.

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The global RNU is assumed to be 70% of the NETD. This is potential for replacing or upgrading 2nd generation cooled
a remarkable challenge for µ-Bolometer systems and requires scanning systems. The introduction of µ-Bolometer technology
special image processing algorithms25. These simulations show should reduce the ‘cost of ownership’ of such systems
that under a wide range of atmospheric conditions the XGA dramatically, and as a result increase their proliferation.
performs better than the TDI 288x4. The margin diminishes for
poorer atmospheric conditions. The XGA detector also supports 3.7 Summary of Microbolometers
a considerably larger FOV which is extremely important for We have presented an overview of SCD’s state of the art
high end applications. microbolometer VOx uncooled detector arrays.
Another important segment is remote weapon stations The VGA 25 µm pitch VHS detector and the F/2.4
where we consider human recognition. In this case the target demonstrator, exhibit performance comparable with traditional
size is 0.5 m x 1.6 m with ΔT = 5 °C. Fig. 24 presents the second generation cooled LWIR detectors. The WB detector
calculated recognition range for a 120 mm aperture. The range is ideal for applications such as situational awareness, where
is slightly above 1 km and, as expected, it is hardly affected by MWIR signal detection is important.
atmospheric conditions. Three new detectors cover a wide range of applications:
In conclusion, high-end µ-Bolometer systems hold great 17 µm VGA for mid-range TWS and hand held systems, 17 µm
QVGA for low SWaP applications, and 17 µm XGA format
Table 5. System parameters used in the TRM3 calculation
for long-range large FOV sights.
Detector parameter 2nd Gen MCT TDI Uncooled XGA TRM3 simulations have been performed in order to
288 X 4 compare the expected system performance of an XGA
F-number 1.86 1.67 microbolometer detector with 2nd generation scanning MCT
Detector Pixel 28 x 25 µm 17 x 17 µm LWIR 288 x 4 TDI arrays. The calculations show that similar
Focal length 225 mm 200 mm
recognition ranges may be achieved under various system
constraints.
IFOV 110 µRad 85 µRad
FOV 2.7 x 2
0 0
50 x 3.750 4. CONCLUSIONS
Spectral range 7.8 – 10.2 µm 8 – 14 µm High end detector arrays at SCD with low NETD at
medium and large F/numbers are based on InSb diodes (λC =
5.4 µm) and XBnn InAsSb bariodes (λC = 4.1 µm). Epi-InSb
recognition ranges (km)

diodes have a reduced G-R dark current while in the patented

XBnn architecture the G-R dark current is totally suppressed.
By reducing the dark current, the operating temperature of the
detector can be raised, leading to significant reductions in the
SWaP figure of the complete IDCA. In epi InSb operating at
95 K, the required cooling power is reduced by about 20 %
and this reduction increases to 60 % for InAs0.91Sb0.09 bariode
detectors which operate at 150 K. The result is an improved
range of solutions for a wide range of applications, including
faster cool-down time and mission readiness, lower cooling
atmospheric extinction (1/km) power, higher cooler reliability, and more compact detectors
Figure 23. Calculated recognition ranges for a NATO target for volume-critical applications. Pelican or Pelican D, 15 µm
vs. atmospheric extinction for uncooled XGA and pitch, epi-InSb FPAs are now in production at SCD. 15 µm
cooled MCT-TDI 288 x 4 based systems. (RNU= pitch XBnn InAs0.91Sb0.09 bariode FPAs will be in production
0.7*NETD). from the second quarter of 2013.
Microbolometer detectors operate with low NETD at room
temperature, with small or medium F/numbers. A VGA 25 µm
recognition range (km)

pitch VHS detector exhibits performance at F/2.4 comparable

with traditional second generation cooled LWIR detectors.
The WB detector is ideal for applications such as situation
awareness, where MWIR signal detection is important. Three
new detectors cover a wide range of applications: 17 µm VGA
for mid-range TWS and hand held systems, 17 µm QVGA
for low SWaP applications, and 17 µm XGA format for long-
range large FOV sights.
Using TRM3 simulations we have shown that in many
applications the shorter cut-off wavelength of the XBnn detector
atmospheric extinction (1/km) is not a disadvantage because the reduction in photon flux is
Figure 24. Calculated human recognition ranges for similar compensated by the higher transmission of the atmosphere
system and atmospheric conditions. in the ‘blue’ MWIR window. Thus similar detection and

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 Klipstein, et al.: Status of Cooled and Uncooled IR Detectors at SCD, Israel

recognition ranges are found in both InSb diode arrays and 50, 061002
InAsSb bariode arrays under a wide range of conditions. 11. L. Shkedy, O.Amir, Z. Calahorra, J. Oiknine-
Similarly we have shown that uncooled microbolometer arrays Schlesinger and Szafranek, I. Temporal dependence of
can exhibit similar recognition ranges to those of cooled 2nd spatial noise in InSb focal plane arrays. Proc. SPIE,
generation MCT LWIR 288 x 4 TDI arrays. Hence, XBnn 2000, 4028, pp.481.
arrays can perform many of the roles traditionally performed 12. Shtrichman, I.; Fishman, T.; Mizrahi, U.; Nahum, V.;
by InSb arrays, and high-end microbolometer systems have Calahorra, Z. & Aron, Y. Spatial resolution of SCD’s
the potential for upgrading 2nd generation scanning systems, in InSb 2D detector arrays. Proc. SPIE, 2007, 6542-3M.
each case, with many cost and reliability related benefits of a 13. Klipstein, P.C.; Klin, O.; Grossman, S.; Snapi, N.;
smaller, lighter and lower power system. Lukomsky, I.; Yassen, M.; Aronov, D.; Berkowicz, E.;
Glozman, A.; Magen, O.; Shtrichman, I.; Frenkel, R.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & Weiss, E. High operating temperature XBn-InAsSb
We would like to acknowledge support for this work bariode detectors., Proc. SPIE, 2012, 8268-0U.
received from the Israeli Ministry of Trade and Industry 14. Klipstein, P.C.; Klin, O.; Grossman, S.; Snapi, N.;
(MOITAL) and Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMoD). The authors Yaakobovitz, B.; Brumer, M.; Lukomsky, I.; Aronov,
are also indebted to numerous engineers and technicians for D.; Yassen, M.; Yofis, B.; Glozman, A.; Fishman, T.;
their dedicated contribution to the development and production Berkowicz, E.; Magen, O.; Shtrichman, I. & Weiss, E.
of the detectors. XBn barrier detectors for high operating temperature.
Proc. SPIE, 2010, 7608-1V.
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ContRibutors

Dr Philip Klipstein received his BA and PhD in Physics from Dr Avraham Rami Fraenkel received his MSc and DSc in
Oxford University and Cambridge University, respectively. Electrical Engineering from the Technion, Israel Institute
After two years as a Junior Research Fellow at Cambridge, he of Technology, in 1986 and 1993, respectively. Presently
moved to a tenured post at Imperial Collage, London. Research working at Semiconductor Devices (SCD). Earlier he worked as
included transport and optics in GaAs/AlAs and Si/Ge. In 1990, project manager for CyOptics, specializing in 40 GHz optical
he returned to Oxford University, adding research into antimonide communication components.
heterostructures. He joined Semiconductor Devices (SCD) in
2000. He has published more than 120 research papers. Dr Itay Shtrichman, received his MSc and PhD in physics
from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, in 1995 and
Dr Udi Mizrahi received his MSc and PhD in Physics, from 1999, respectively. His research was focused on the dynamics
the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, in 1999 and 2004, of carriers in semiconductor quantum structures. He spent
respectively. During his PhD he conducted research on ‘Time two years as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of
Resoled Correlation Spectroscopy of Single Photons from California, Santa Barbara. He joined SCD in 2003. He has
Semiconductor Quantum Dots’. He joined Semiconductor Devices published more than 30 refereed and conference papers.
(SCD) in 2004.

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