Design and development of multicolor MWIR/LWIR and LWIR/VLWIR detector arrays

Multicolor infrared (IR) focal planes are required for high-performance sensor applications. These sensors will require multicolor focal plane arrays (FPAs) that will cover various wavelengths of interest in mid wavelength infrared/long wavelength infrared (MWIR/LWIR) and long wavelength infrared/very long wavelength infrared (LWIR/VLWIR) bands. There has been significant progress in HgCdTe detector technology for multicolor MWIR/LWIR and LWIR/VLWIR FPAs.^1–3 Two-color IR FPAs eliminate the complexity of multiple single-color IR FPAs and provide a significant reduction of weight and power in simpler, reliable, and affordable systems. The complexity of a multicolor IR detector MWIR/LWIR makes the device optimization by trial and error not only impractical but also merely impossible. Too many different geometrical and physical variables need to be considered at the same time. Additionally, material characteristics are only relatively controllable and depend on the process repeatability. In this context, the ability of performing “simulation experiments” where only one or a few parameters are carefully controlled is paramount for a quantum improvement of a new generation of multicolor detectors for various applications.