We have built a solid reputation in the field of uncooled vanadium oxide infrared detectors.
Our portfolio of intellectual property attests to our unparalleled expertise in microbolometer detector design, fabrication, characterization, and packaging, as well as in detector-to-ROIC (readout integrated circuit) interfacing technology. Our clean rooms routinely provide fabrication and customization services for infrared detectors ranging in size from 17 to 312 microns.
As part of our foundry services, we can monolithically integrate microbolometric detectors over client-supplied ROIC wafers, or help clients design their own ROIC. We have developed a number of custom IR focal plane arrays (FPA) to clients’ precise specifications, including a 384 x 288 pixel, 35 micron pitch array, and a 512 x 3 pixel, 39 micron array for the European and Canadian space agencies.
The CMOS ROIC wafers used to fabricate FPAs are also available under a supply agreement.
Our seasoned, multidisciplinary team is dedicated to fully meeting your custom design and technology transfer needs. Our extensive areas of expertise include:
Fields of application:
Uncooled detectors are revolutionizing infrared detection and imaging by providing reliable low-cost sensors for civilian and military applications. Unlike cryogenically cooled devices, infrared bolometric detectors operated at room temperature offer a number of competitive advantages in terms of cost and operational convenience, including higher reliability, reduced power consumption, smaller footprint, and reduced weight.
Another benefit of vanadium oxide detectors is their multispectral response capability. We have leveraged this feature to develop broadband and terahertz-sensitive detectors. Overall, this technology can be used to detect wavelengths from 3 microns to 1 millimeter.
One of the keys to fabricating broadband detectors is the gold black deposition system designed and developed by our microfabrication team. The main advantages of gold black are its lower thermal mass and conductance, which fosters excellent optical absorption and a rapid thermal response. We offer gold black deposition services to clients looking to boost the performance of their broadband detectors.
What’s more, the versatility of this technology has allowed us to develop a MEMS-Pirani pressure detector using the same microfabrication process. This novel pressure detector can be monolithically integrated with FPAs or used as a standalone device to monitor the pressure in the packages in which the FPAs are assembled.