For many years image intensifier tubes were used for night vision systems. In 2014, Elbit systems developed a digital low-light level CMOS sensor, with similar sensitivity to a Gen II image-intensifiers, down to starlight conditions. In this work we describe: the basic principle behind this sensor, physical model for low-light performance estimation and results of field testing.
For the past 15 years, Elbit Systems is developing time-resolved active laser-gated imaging (LGI) systems for various applications. Traditional LGI systems are based on high sensitive gated sensors, synchronized to pulsed laser sources. Elbit propriety multi-pulse per frame method, which is being implemented in LGI systems, improves significantly the imaging quality. A significant characteristic of the LGI is its ability to penetrate a disturbing media, such as rain, haze and some fog types. Current LGI systems are based on image intensifier (II) sensors, limiting the system in spectral response, image quality, reliability and cost. A novel propriety optical gating module was developed in Elbit, untying the dependency of LGI system on II. The optical gating module is not bounded to the radiance wavelength and positioned between the system optics and the sensor. This optical gating method supports the use of conventional solid state sensors. By selecting the appropriate solid state sensor, the new LGI systems can operate at any desired wavelength. In this paper we present the new gating method characteristics, performance and its advantages over the II gating method. The use of the gated imaging systems is described in a variety of applications, including results from latest field experiments.
Over the last decade, SCD has developed and manufactured high quality InSb Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs), which are
currently used in many applications worldwide. SCD's production line includes many different types of InSb FPA with
formats of 320x256, 480x384 and 640x512 elements and with pitch sizes in the range of 15 to 30 μm. All these FPAs
are available in various packaging configurations, including fully integrated Detector-Dewar-Cooler Assemblies
(DDCA) with either closed-cycle Sterling or open-loop Joule-Thomson coolers.
With an increasing need for higher resolution, SCD has recently developed a new large format 2-D InSb detector with
1280x1024 elements and a pixel size of 15μm. The InSb 15μm pixel technology has already been proven at SCD with
the "Pelican" detector (640x512 elements), which was introduced at the Orlando conference in 2006.
A new signal processor was developed at SCD for use in this mega-pixel detector. This Readout Integrated Circuit
(ROIC) is designed for, and manufactured with, 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The migration from 0.5 to 0.18 μm CMOS
technology supports SCD's roadmap for the reduction of pixel size and power consumption and is in line with the
increasing demand for improved performance and on-chip functionality. Consequently, the new ROIC maintains the
same level of performance and functionality with a 15 μm pitch, as exists in our 20 μm-pitch ROICs based on 0.5μm
CMOS technology. Similar to Sebastian (SCD ROIC with A/D on chip), this signal processor also includes A/D
converters on the chip and demonstrates the same level of performance, but with reduced power consumption. The pixel
readout rate has been increased up to 160 MHz in order to support a high frame rate, resulting in 120 Hz operation with
a window of 1024×1024 elements at ~130 mW. These A/D converters on chip save the need for using 16 A/D channels
on board (in the case of an analog ROIC) which would operate at 10 MHz and consume about 8Watts
A Dewar has been designed with a stiffened detector support to withstand harsh environmental conditions with a
minimal contribution to the heat load of the detector. The combination of the 0.18μm-based low power CMOS
technology for the ROIC and the stiffening of the detector support within the Dewar has enabled the use of the Ricor
K508 cryo-cooler (0.5 W). This has created a high-resolution detector in a very compact package.
In this paper we present the basic concept of the new detector. We will describe its construction and will present
electrical and radiometric characterization results.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Signal processing, Medium wave, Signal detection, Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Missiles, Staring arrays, Infrared sensors, Infrared detectors, Digital signal processing
SCD has developed a series of Infra Red (IR) detectors based on the well established technologies of InSb diodes and the most advanced analogue and digital signal processors. These detectors exhibit great advantages for Missile Warning System (MWS). Their special modes of operation combined with a high level of performance enable efficient optimization for MWS applications. These high-end applications require special features including large dynamic range, high frame rate, high sensitivity at low signal and dual-color detection. The first detector that was developed for MWS applications is the "Blue Fairy" detector which has 320x256 elements. After the "Blue Fairy" a new generation of digital detectors was developed, starting with "Sebastian". Sebastian is based on a novel digital Focal Plane Processor (FPP) with formats of 640×512 and 480×384 elements. A detector based on two Sebastian Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) assembled on a single substrate with a high degree of registration provides a good dual-color solution for MWS systems. In this paper the special features and the performance of all these detectors are presented showing their advantages for MWS applications.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Signal processing, Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Staring arrays, Digital signal processing, Diodes, Mid-IR, Chemical elements, Long wavelength infrared, Signal detection
For over 27 years, SCD has been manufacturing and developing a wide range of high performance infra-red detectors, designed to operate in either the mid-wave (MWIR) or the long-wave (LWIR) atmospheric windows. These detectors have been integrated successfully into many different types of system including missile seekers, Time Delay Integration scanning systems, Hand-Held cameras, Missile Warning Systems and many others. SCD's technology for the MWIR wavelength range is based on its well established 2-D arrays of InSb photodiodes. The arrays are flip-chip bonded to SCD's analogue or digital signal processors, all of which have been designed in-house. The 2-D Focal Plane Array (FPA) detectors have a format of 320×256 elements for a 30 μm pitch and 480×384 or 640×512 elements for a 20 μm pitch. Typical operating temperatures are around 77-85K. Five years ago SCD began to develop a new generation of MWIR detectors based on the epitaxial growth of Antimonide Based Compound Semiconductors (ABCS). This ABCS technology allows band-gap engineering of the detection material which enables higher operating temperatures and multi-spectral detection. This year SCD presented its first prototype FPA from this program, an InAlSb based detector operating at a temperature of 100 K. By the end of this year SCD will introduce the first prototype MWIR detector with a 640×512 element format and a pitch of 15 μm. For the LWIR wave-length range SCD manufactures both linear
Hg1-xCdxTe (MCT) detectors with a line of 250 elements and Time Delay and Integration (TDI) detectors with formats of 288×4 and 480×6. Recently, SCD has demonstrated its first prototype un-cooled detector which is based on VOx technology and which has a format of 384×288 elements, a pitch of 25 μm and a typical NETD of 50mK at F/1. In this paper we describe the present technologies and products of SCD and the future evolution of our detectors for the MWIR and LWIR detection.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Missiles, Signal processing, Medium wave, Infrared technology, Digital signal processing, Electro optics, Infrared imaging, Infrared radiation
For the past few years SCD has been developing a series of Infra Red (IR) detectors based on the well established technologies of InSb diodes and the most advanced analogue and digital signal processors. These detectors exhibit special modes of operation combined with a high level of performance, which enables the detectors to be optimized within a large variety of applications. Among these applications the most demanding are considered to be those related to Missile Warnings Systems (MWS) and firing identification. For these high-end applications, a combination of suitable operation modes and high performance is required, including: large dynamic range, high frame rate, high sensitivity at low signal and a smooth transition of operation mode from frame to frame. The first detector developed for MWS is the "Blue Fairy" detector which has 320x256 elements with a 30μm pitch. After the "Blue Fairy" a family of new generation digital detectors was developed, starting with "Sebastian". Sebastian is based on a novel digital Focal Plane Processor (FPP) with a 20μm pitch and a format of 640×512. Next, for the mid format, a digital detector with 480×384 elements was developed, based on the same concept as the large format Sebastian detector but with some additional functionality. In this paper the special features and performance of these detectors are presented showing their advantages for MWS applications.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Signal processing, Digital signal processing, Field programmable gate arrays, Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Signal detection, Target recognition, Detector development, Target detection, Staring arrays
After completing the development of a digital detector with a format of 640x512 elements ("Sebastian"), SCD is now developing a mid format digital detector with 480x384 elements. This detector is based on the same concept as Sebastian, which was introduced last year at the SPIE conference in Orlando. The 480x384 element detector has all the features and performance of Sebastian as then introduced, and in addition exhibits some additional functionality. The format of the 480x384 element detector was chosen in order to maintain the same active area as in a standard format 320x256 element detector of today. Thus with specific system optics, a higher resolution is achieved with our new detector. As a direct consequence, the detection range is increased by 22-35% depending on the target type, when using this detector instead of the conventional 320x256 element detector in a typical system. The 480x384 element detector is designed to be integrated both into imaging systems and into head seekers missile-applications. In this paper we present the concept and the basic structure of the detector, the special operation modes unique to the digital detector, and the results of detection range calculations.
SCD has developed a High Performance Detector Dewar Cooler (DDC) called “Piccolo” for IR detection in the MWIR, which has low power consumption, low weight and low cost. The DDC characteristics are optimized for handheld camera applications. The Piccolo DDC is based on the advanced “Blue Fairy” Focal Plane Processor (FPP) which is bonded to a 320x256 element InSb FPA. The Blue Fairy FPP is used in a special mode of operation for very low power consumption of less than 25mW. A special dewar has been developed for the Piccolo which has a low heat load of less than 140mW. A new cooler designed for low power consumption and low weight is integrated into the dewar. This results in a total power consumption for the DDC at an ambient temperature of 23°C of below 5W. The total weight of the whole DDC is less than 400gr. All the components of the Piccolo were designed for low cost production while keeping the high performance and reliability standards of all SCD detectors.
Over the past 27 years, SCD has developed and manufactured more than 30 types of Infrared Detector, both with support from the Israeli MOD and in cooperation with institutions and companies such as the Technion, Soreq NRC, RICOR and RAFAEL. SCD's current production line includes Hg1-xCdxTe (MCT) devices with up to 480x6 elements operating in Time Delay and Integration (TDI) mode and InSb Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) with up to 640x512 elements, all available in various configurations including fully integrated Detector-Dewar-Cooler (DDC) packages. Such DDCs have been designed to range from the very small to the very large. At one end the Piccolo DDC is a small, low weight and power detector, ideal for compact low cost imagers such as handheld IR cameras. At the other end, we manufacture a very long (2048x16) bi-directional TDI InSb detector designed for "whiskbroom scanning" systems. This device consists of four modules precisely butted on a single substrate, with each 512x16 module connected to a single signal processor. In 2003, SCD announced its new breakthrough Digital Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) technology: Digital DDC or D3C. This readout system, with excellent performance and increased flexibility is the first in a series of new imaging solutions that SCD is developing to meet future demands of noise and power reduction, combined with greater wavelength selectivity. To continue along this path we have also been developing our new ABCS (Antimonide Based Compound Semiconductor) technology, which we first reported in 2002. The ABCS program, combining SCD's existing strengths in InSb FPA systems with new concepts in bandgap engineering and smart structure design, is aimed at multispectral IR detectors operating at higher temperatures. This review discusses some of the key trends at SCD as described above. After surveying the performance of SCD's current InSb technology, SCD's evolution towards the next generations will be described, including the achievements and potential of the D3C and ABCS systems.
Ofer Nesher, Shimon Elkind, Amnon Adin, Itsik Nevo, A. Yaakov, S. Raichshtain, Arcadi Marhasev, A. Magner, M. Katz, T. Markovitz, Dan Chen, M. Kenan, A. Ganany, J. Oiknine Schlesinger, Z. Calahorra
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Signal processing, Signal detection, Digital signal processing, Field programmable gate arrays, Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Analog electronics, Interference (communication), Infrared sensors, Staring arrays
A Focal Plane Array (FPA) with a digital output for cooled IR detectors has recently attracted a lot of attention due to its advantages over detectors with analog outputs. Of special importance is the potential to have a better long term stability of the Residual Non Uniformity (RNU). Last summer SCD introduced a new high performance digital signal processor for 640x512 InSb infrared detectors, which includes analog to digital conversion performed inside the signal processor itself (at the focal plane). This signal processor has been bonded to InSb detector arrays and tested both electrically and radiometrically within a dewar. Special proximity electronics was developed for the operation of the FPA, including a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device. The complete device functions as a multi-chip system, enabling high degree of flexibility and easy integration at the system level. The total power dissipation of the FPA is less than 100mW at a frame rate of 100Hz, which is even less than that obtained with comparable/conventional analog FPAs. The NETD of the detector is less than 10.5mK at 50% of the full range 13Me-. The RNU is less than 0.02%STD/DR from 2% up to 90% of the full range. It is important to note that in the case of a digital detector the readout noise the NETD and the RNU of the detector are the total system values. This stand alone Digital Detector Dewar Cooler (D3C) presents a new industrial standard for cooled IR detectors.
KEYWORDS: Staring arrays, Sensors, Signal processing, Cadmium sulfide, Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Temperature metrology, Nonuniformity corrections, Capacitors, Curium, Video
SCD Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) are based on 320×256 InSb elements, or 640×512 InSb elements. In this paper we introduce the outstanding FPA based on the signal processor 'blue fairy' (BF) that has been designed at SCD, and is now in standard production for the 320×256 InSb FPAs. The BF Focal Plane Processor (FPP) enables integration capacity of more than 15Me- at Integrate While Read (IWR) mode, and more than 30 Me- at Integrate Than Read (ITR) mode. A combined mode for large dynamic range with high sensitivity is possible. An excellent linearity and residual non-uniformity is achieved, starting from extremely low electron capacity up to 13Me- at IWR mode and 24Me- at ITR mode. Many other modes can be selected via a communication channel such as: ITR/IWR, one of seven different gains, one of seven different biases for the detector, windows size and window location. A Correlated Double Sampling (CDS) between frames and rows can be used for low frequency noise reduction, and/or any external electronic gain and offset drift corrections. All these features enable the integration of the BF FPA in large variety application, with high performance at each application.
KEYWORDS: Interfaces, Quasiparticles, Superconductors, Diffusion, Superconductivity, Solids, Physics, Temperature metrology, Information operations, Thin films
The coupling between a HTSC thin film (S) and a normal conductor (N) in proximity is still not well understood. Most of the investigations done so far look at the penetration of superconductivity into N. We have extended this type of investigation to look at the other side of the coin, namely at the influence of N on S. Here, we report measurements of the critical temperature of S-N bilayer films as a function of the thickness of the YBCO (S) layer using Co doped YBCO as the Normal material. To understand the role of the S-N interface, bilayer having different interface morphologies were prepared using different growth modes of the films. We found that depending on the morphology of the S-N interface, the coupling between S and N layers can be turned on to depress the Tc of S by tens of degrees, or turned off so the layers appear almost totally decoupled. This novel effect is strongly correlated with the presence of different crystalline orientations on the interface. The range of influence of N on S is about 240 angstrom, rather than 20 angstrom expected from the coherence length (xi) s. These observations are explained using a theory of quasiparticle transmission into an anisotropic superconductor.
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