Long midwave infrared detector with time-delayed integration

In this paper we present a long Infrared Detector (LIRD) with Time Delayed Integration (TDI) mechanism in the 3mm - 5mm spectral band. The detector consists of four segments that are 'butted' on a single substrate in a staggered format. A novel butting technique ensures high accuracy and extremely uniform temperature distribution along the array. Each detector segment (DS) consists of an advanced CMOS readout integrated circuit (ROIC) attached to a back-illuminated diode array. The diode array is implemented with SCD's proprietary high performance InSb process. The ROIC is designed and optimized to be used with high F#, 'slow scan rate' systems. Very low power dissipation is emphasized. In order to achieve high flexibility, the signal processor is externally programmable, enabling TDI operation with or without over-sampling on any combination of elements. Some other features include: Bi-directional operation, defective pixel de-selection, variable line rates and integration times, externally controlled gain and background subtraction capability. The paper presents electrical and radiometric predictions. Measured results that were performed on the first prototype are also presented.