Comparison of HgCdTe and quantum-well infrared photodetector dual-band focal plane arrays

Abstract

We report on results of laboratory and field tests of dual-band focal plane arrays (FPAs) in the medium-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR), produced under the Army Research Laboratory’s Multidomain Smart Sensor Federated Laboratory program. The FPAs were made by DRS Infrared Technologies using the HgCdTe material system, and by BAE Systems using quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP) technology. The HgCdTe array used the DRS HDVIP™ process to bond two single-color detector structures to a $640×480$-pixel single-color readout integrated circuit (ROIC) to produce a dual-band $320×240$ pixel array. The MWIR and LWIR pixels are co-located and have a large fill factor. The images from each band may be read out either sequentially (alternating frames) or simultaneously. The alternating-frame approach must be used to produce optimal imagery in both bands under normal background conditions. The QWIP FPA was produced using III-V materials grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). The LWIR section consisted of GaAs quantum wells and AlGaAs barriers, and the MWIR section used InGaAs quantum wells with AlGaAs barriers. The detector arrays were processed with three ohmic contacts for each pixel, allowing for independent bias control over both the MWIR and LWIR sections. The arrays were indium bump-bonded to an ROIC (specifically designed for two-color operation), which puts out the imagery from both bands simultaneously. The ROIC has variable gain and windowing capabilities. Both FPAs were tested under similar ambient conditions with similar optical components. The FPAs were subjected to a standard series of laboratory performance tests. The advantages and disadvantages of the two material systems for producing medium-format dual-band FPAs are discussed. © 2003 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.