HEXITEC ASIC Pixelated CdTe Detector Front-End Electronics and Packaging Development

Achieving high–angular resolution imaging in the hard X-ray bandpass requires continued advancement in pixelated detector readout technology. The HEXITEC ASIC CdTe pixel array, developed by Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, offers a uniquely capable detector architecture featuring an abuttable 80 by 80-pixel format with a 250 μm pitch, a full detector readout rate of 10 kHz, and an energy response spanning 2 to 200 keV. These performance characteristics make HEXITEC well suited for potential NASA Explorer class broadband X-ray space telescope mission concepts, including HEROIX. To enable these capabilities for spaceflight applications, further front-end electronics development is required. In parallel, dedicated packaging development is required to integrate the HEXITEC detectors into a flight like ready detector unit. This effort involves designing and validating mechanical, thermal, and electrical interfaces that ensure stable operation in the space environment. Key focus areas include temperature regulation for CdTe stability, low noise high voltage bias delivery. Establishing this packaging capability at MSFC will support end-to-end detector module development for upcoming mission proposals and technology maturation efforts. Calibration of the integrated HEXITEC detector units will also be performed at MSFC to establish detector gain and position sensitivity. Together, the proposed front-end electronics and packaging advancements will significantly enhance the readiness of HEXITEC detector technology, enabling high fidelity, high-resolution hard X-ray imaging for NASA’s next generation astrophysics missions. Not included in this IRAD, but required for high-resolution astrophysical application, is FPGA development. This includes implementing firmware capable of robust sparse event detection and rapid charge sharing characterization between adjacent pixels. Additional support will be required for final FPGA firmware for TRL 6.

Continued development of embedded hard X-ray detectors will directly complement MSFC's existing full-shell, high-angular resolution X-ray optics program, with advancements in HEXITEC development benefiting future MSFC-led missions including SuperHERO LDB (APRA/Pioneer), Next Generation ART-XC (Astro Tiny Explorer), FIRCE (Helio SMEX (GSFC)), and HEROIX (Astro MIDEX).

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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