Advancing Core Hyperspectral and Ultraviolet Imaging Technologies Through Focal Plane Array Implementation on Digital Read Out Integrated Circuits

Goddard spaceflight center has made considerable progress advancing hyperspectral imaging focal planes and deep-ultraviolet (DUV) detectors including quantum dot (QD) based hyperspectral imagers which are beginning to enable spectrometer-on-a-chip implementations and silicon carbide (SiC) focal plane arrays which demonstrate solar blind UV detection combined with femtoamp level dark current and radiation hardness. However, both of these technologies are at this point limited by their readout integrate circuitry (ROIC) with QD filter array’s performance limited by their underlying detector and SiC arrays confined to 1D configurations. We propose the transition of QD hyperspectral imagers and SiC based UV focal plane arrays to emerging, 2D, digital ROICs (DROICs) to improve performance and simplify operation by spinning up a camera development platform built around Attollo Engineering’s AE1702 VGA DROIC, demonstrating direct signal readout from QD active materials, a fundamental advancement is in the operation of QD detectors, and, as a stretch goal, performing an integration of a small scale 2D SiC arrays to demonstrate 2D UV imaging. Both technologies have broad applications commensurate with “coupling of terrestrial and space weather to fully unify the Earth system from below the surface to the edge of space” highly relevant to TRaHP and the transition to DROICs is a critical step in this path to accelerate the development of these cutting edge technologies in preparation for spaceflight deployments.

Transition of QD hyperspectral imagers and SiC-based UV focal plane arrays to 2D DROICs; improved performance and simplified operation; demonstration of direct signal readout from QD active materials; 2D SiC UV imaging demonstration; accelerated development of cutting-edge imaging technologies for spaceflight.

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