Advanced Type II SLS Materials for Large Format FPA Applications

This CCRPP effort proposes to mature high-quality high-performance infrared epitaxy materials based on Type II SLS absorber material strain balanced to GaSb substrate FPA applications and achieve readiness levels required for commercial implementation. A major barrier for the high performance mid-wave and long-wave FPA market is the lack availability of high quality epitaxy materials. At production stage on a design win—in conjunction with a industry partner, a program for several thousand units for a fleet of military air plane, helicopters, ground transport, and missiles—the potential market size for these SLS epi materials can easily start several million dollars and grow to tens of millions of dollars size. Since IntelliEPI-IR already has very good working relationship with the thermal imaging defense contractors, there will be direct path to transition these technologies to other applications.

Under this effort, IntelliEPI-IR will be working to ensure that SLS detector materials development will meet NASA’s needs, particularly, for projects such as the high performance thermal imager for the Visible and InfraRed Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer (VIRHIS) for the for the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM). Other potential NASA applications include air borne or satellite survey of the earth, as well as, space borne instruments. These detectors can serve as an upgrade for QWIP and replacement for HgCdTe.

Improved Type II SLS technology offer thermal imagers at higher operating temperature, uniformity, and sensitivity from mid wave to long wavelength infrared based on scalable GaSb substrates. This opens the door for more military vehicles/platforms to be outfitted with these high performance cameras. Commercially, environmental or gas sensing can benefit from competitive cost scaling.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.