SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal develops infrared diffuse screens for the purpose of combining infrared projection technologies into a hybrid system for imaging sensor testing. The proposed screen technology allows for a combination of resolved and unresolved targets at a variety of wavelengths. With the proposed technology, the diffuse screen can be specifically engineered to present sufficient spatial resolution, while shaping and directing the resultant angular profile for objects at multiple angles of incidence and numerical apertures in the field. In addition, the proposed screen technology provides low optical loss, good spatial uniformity, and good pupil uniformity. The proposed screens are rigidly constructed from thermo-mechanically matched materials to minimize temperature dependence and to prevent warping in a cryo-vacuum environment. High quality material composition ensures resistance to moisture in the ambient environment and low-outgassing in cryo-vacuum environments. In Phase I, infrared diffuse screen test structures will be designed, fabricated, and characterized to prove the concept for the proposed diffuse screen technology. Additional work in Phase I will focus on scale-up of the technology to demonstrate 5cm x 5cm midwave infrared (MWIR) diffuse screens and for implementation of 10cm x 10cm long wave infrared (LWIR) diffuse screens in Phase II.screen,diffusive,projection,hybrid,Infrared,midwave infrared,long wave infrared,Cryo-vacuum

Under this SBIR project, SRICO is developing mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long wave infrared (LWIR) diffuse screen technology for the purpose of combining infrared projection technologies into a hybrid system for imaging sensor testing. The technology allows for a combination of resolved and unresolved targets at a variety of wavelengths. With the proposed technology, the diffuse screen can be specifically engineered to present a desired spatial resolution, while shaping and directing the resultant angular profile for objects at multiple angles of incidence and numerical apertures in the field. The proposed diffuse screen is rigidly constructed from thermo-mechanically matched metal and dielectric materials to minimize temperature dependence and to prevent warping in cryo-vacuum environments. High quality inorganic material composition ensures resistance to moisture in the ambient environment and low-outgassing in cryo-vacuum environments. Phase I efforts demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed technology to produce diffuse MWIR screens 5 cm x 5 cm in size. Under this Phase II proposal, the technology will be extended to address LWIR wavelengths and screen size of 10 cm x 10 cm. Both reflection and transmission type screens will be developed. The diffuse screen technology has direct application in hybrid infrared scene projection systems as well as in hyperspectral imaging systems, such as for satellite and astronomical telescope imaging.