SBIR-STTR Award

While state-of-the-art microbolometers demonstrate impressive capabilities for low-cost uncooled longwave infrared (LWIR) imaging, there is currently a need for low-cost, midwave infrared (MWIR) imaging systems capable of high performance with fast frame rates at high operating temperatures. HgTe colloidal quantum dot (CQD) focal plane arrays (FPAs), developed by our team, are MWIR photon detectors that demonstrate high performance and fast response, have the potential for uncooled operation, and are monolithically integrated with readout integrated circuits. We propose to develop new fabrication techniques to overcome the current technological challenges prohibiting high photon detector performance at elevated operating temperatures, to develop a high resolution (1344 x 744) MWIR CQD FPA and integrate the FPA into a low-cost and high performance imaging system. The system will provide cost, size, weight and power advantages over all current MWIR technologies, providing solutions for numerous military applications. Our team is uniquely positioned to take on the challenges associated with the development of a compact and low-cost MWIR CQD-based imaging system, having been the first to demonstrate MWIR CQD FPAs and possessing a track record of developing innovative low-cost infrared camera systems.

While state-of-the-art microbolometers demonstrate impressive capabilities for low-cost uncooled long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) imaging, there is currently a need for low-cost, mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) imaging systems capable of high performance with fast frame rates at high operating temperatures. HgTe colloidal quantum dot (CQD) focal plane arrays (FPAs), as developed by our team, are MWIR photon detectors that demonstrate high performance and fast response, have the potential for uncooled operation, and are monolithically integrated with readout integrated circuits. To take full advantage of the optical and transport properties of the state-of-the-art CQDs, we propose to develop new processing and device architectures, with the goal of achieving the optimal performance of a high-resolution (1344 x 744 format) MWIR CQD FPA for integration with a low-cost and high-performance imaging system. The parameters for optimal absorption and transport will be determined through improvements in single element detector architectures, then transferred to the FPAs. Our team is uniquely positioned to take on the challenges associated with the development of a compact and low-cost MWIR CQD-based imaging system, having been the first to demonstrate MWIR CQD FPAs and possessing a track record of developing innovative low-cost infrared camera systems.