You are here

Low-Noise, UV-to-SWIR Broadband Photodiodes for Large-Format Focal Plane Array Sensors

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX10CD60P
Agency Tracking Number: 094173
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: S1.05
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2010
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2010-01-29
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2010-07-29
Small Business Information
119 Silvia Street
Ewing, NJ 08628-3200
United States
DUNS: 824781769
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
Principal Investigator
 Abhay Joshi
 Principal Investigator
 (609) 434-1311
 abhay@chipsat.com
Business Contact
 Abhay Joshi
Title: Business Official
Phone: (609) 434-1311
Email: abhay@chipsat.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Broadband focal plane arrays, operating in UV-to-SWIR wavelength range, are required for atmospheric monitoring of greenhouse gases. Currently, separate image sensors are used for different spectral sub-bands: GaN for UV, Si for visible, and InGaAs for SWIR, requiring expensive component-level integration for hyper-spectral imaging. Also, the size of the InGaAs focal plane arrays is currently limited by the InP substrate area.

We propose a GaAs/InGaP/InGaAs based photodiode on standard GaAs substrates for large-format (4096 x 4096) focal plane arrays with the following characteristics:
(1) Wavelength = 0.25 to 2.5 micron;
(2) Quantum Eficiency > 30% in UV (0.25 to 0.4 micron), > 80% in Visible (0.4 to 0.9 micron), and > 70% in IR (0.9 to 2.5 micron) subbands;
(3) Photodiode Area (single element) = 15 x 15, 25 x 25, and 50 x 50 micron square;
(4) RoA > 35 Ohm-cm^2 at 300K; and
(5) Bandwidth > 1 GHz.
Additionally, feasibility of UV-to-SWIR graded optical filters will be investigated.

Based on P.I.'s experience on SCIAMACHY, this project will enable one image sensor for 8 spectroscopic channels currently orbiting on European Space Agency's ENVISAT. Also, feasibility of large-format image sensors on GaAs substrates will be demonstrated.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government