DROIC High Dynamic Range

In response to the NASA 2019 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation for Focus Area 9 topic S1.04, Alphacore Inc. will develop a low-cost, radiation-hardened, versatile, digital readout integrated circuit (DROIC) for infrared imaging applications. Alphacore’s DROIC technology is designed to be used with a variety of detector types. The DROIC has wide temperature operation range, including both cryogenic (cooled) and room temperature operation. The ROIC has low power consumption and low read-noise level (1uW/pixel and 10 electrons RMS, respectively). The ROIC will be radiation hard up to 300krad(Si) of total ionizing dose (TID) and immune to single event latch-up (SEL). Alphacore’s approach has great deal of innovation yet it is also low risk due to the prior work by Alphacore and its collaborators. This includes proving the effectiveness of the used radiation hardness by design (RHBD) techniques, as well as validating the low-temperature and nominal-temperature simulation models with physical tests for the selected 180nm CMOS process. One particular benefit of this process is that it provides very low cost for full-wafer prototyping runs, i.e., “engineering runs”. The full-wafer engineering runs are typically dedicated to one single customer and they provide the needed large chip sizes and fast fabrication times needed for proper technology evaluation to make this project successful within the given SBIR program time frame. Alphacore also has the capability of integrating the DROIC with a detector array to form a focal plane array (FPA). Alphacore’s collaborators own detector fabrication processes capable of megapixel-class detector arrays that are suitable for imaging using wavelengths from near infrared (NIR) to longwave infrared (LWIR).

Potential use of Alphacore’s DROICs is through implementation into infrared and spectral imaging systems. The systems are used in defense and surveillance applications, such as detecting objects through fog, smoke or other solid obstructions, distinguishing between natural and man-made objects, monitoring the quality of crops in farming and detecting concealed items at airport security.

Potential use of Alphacore’s DROICs is through implementation into infrared and spectral imaging systems. The systems are used in defense and surveillance applications, such as detecting objects through fog, smoke or other solid obstructions, distinguishing between natural and man-made objects, monitoring the quality of crops in farming and detecting concealed items at airport security.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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