Optimized Soft X-ray Sensors for Strategic X-ray Astrophysics Missions: Achieving TRL 5

Future strategic X-ray imaging missions require excellent soft X-ray (E < 0.5 keV) response to characterize the distant, high-redshift Universe, to trace the earliest stages of cosmic structure formation, and to understand thermal plasmas in a range of environments from galaxy halos to stellar coronae. This performance must be achieved in sensors with relatively small pixels (16 - 24 μm), thick photo-sensitive volumes (≳ 100 μm) and high readout rates (20-100 frames/sec). Achieving physics-limited performance in these devices requires multiple fast amplifiers operating in parallel to achieve the required frame rate, and very low readout noise and excellent charge collection efficiency to achieve the required spectral resolution and quantum efficiency. Efficient charge collection is particularly challenging since soft X-ray photons produce small charge packets (~100 electrons) within ~100 nanometers of the (back-illuminated) sensor entrance window. Careful design and passivation of the entrance window surface is thus crucial for acceptable soft response. To mature this aspect of detector technology for future strategic missions we propose to extend our current Strategic Astrophysics Technology work demonstrating fast, low-noise, low power, multiple outputs and signal chains in front-illuminated CCD sensors of representative pixel size, format and thickness. These sensors are baselined for the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) Astrophysics Probe concept. We propose to process front-illuminated wafers produced in our current program to produce back-illuminated sensors with selected variants of state-of-the art entrance window treatments. We will characterize the soft X-ray performance and radiation tolerance of these devices and identify the optimum entrance window passivation process. Successful completion of this work will raise the technology readiness of this sensor architecture to TRL 5 for the use in the AXIS X-ray Probe.

The Strategic Astrophysics Technology program (SAT) supports focused development efforts for key technologies to the point at which they are ready to feed into major missions in the three science themes of the Astrophysics Division: Exoplanet Exploration, Cosmic Origins, and the Physics of the Cosmos. This program is specifically designed to address middle technology readiness level (TRL) "gaps" between levels 3 and 6: the maturation of technologies that have been established as feasible, but which are not yet sufficiently mature to incorporate into flight missions without introducing an unacceptable level of risk.

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.

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