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III-V Based Focal Plane Arrays for Video-Rate Terahertz Imaging

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA9550-10-C-0013
Agency Tracking Number: F08A-006-0022
Amount: $749,671.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF08-T006
Solicitation Number: 2008.A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2008
Award Year: 2010
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2009-11-30
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2011-11-30
Small Business Information
1275 Kinnear Road Suite 251
Columbus, OH 43212-
United States
DUNS: 806849605
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Phillip Smith
 Director of Scientific Research
 (614) 506-5084
 phil.smith@traycerdiagnostic.com
Business Contact
 Brad Beasecker
Title: President and CEO
Phone: (614) 404-5650
Email: brad.beasecker@traycerdiagnostic.com
Research Institution
 The Ohio State University (primary)
 James Ball
 
OSU Research Foundation 224 Bolz Hall, 2036 Neil Ave
Columbus, OH 43210-
United States

 (614) 292-4903
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

Owing to a unique set of intellectual property and core expertise, this Phase II team, led by Traycer Diagnostic Systems, will build and characterize a packaged, 16x16 terahertz focal plane array (FPA) for broadband video-rate imaging at frequencies up to 1.3 THz. Traycer’s competitive advantage is based on its record-performing detectors, novel antennas, and array architectures that permit a direct-detect mechanism and enable the proposed device’s unique capabilities. The realization of the goals outlined in this proposal positions Traycer for competing in the large application space enabled by this FPA. This space includes a broad array of applications of interest to the Department of Defense and the commercial marketplace, including but not limited to, non-destructive evaluation, communications, and security screening. This effort leverages experts in physics, semiconductor devices, antennas and electromagnetics, electronics, and test and measurement towards the development of the proposed invention. BENEFIT: Traycer has validated a market of over $100MM for sales of its FPAs alone (i.e., not including specific application development). In addition to military applications, a considerable commercial opportunity exists for the development of THz component technology. A vast amount of underutilized spectral information exists in the terahertz regime. TDS’ FPAs allow access to this valuable information. From a security standpoint, there are a number of chemical signatures for common explosives and both legal and illegal drugs. Additionally, since many non-metallic, non-polar materials do not absorb THz radiation, terahertz spectroscopy is of interest for the evaluation of materials through packaging. The NDE of materials by THz radiation has numerous military and civilian applications, and is currently being used to evaluate insulating foam tiles on the space shuttle. Terahertz radiation is also of interest for medical applications. The relatively low photon energies of terahertz radiation provide significant advantages over conventional x-ray methods for cancer detection. Non-ionizing terahertz imaging can elicit dielectric contrast information and indirectly recognize the chemical composition of material under study, allowing for passive mapping of material composition for use in the high-resolution, non-destructive evaluation of biologic and non-biologic samples.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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