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Design and Development of Silicon-Based Infrared Imaging Sensor

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contract: W31P4Q-07-C-0024
Agency Tracking Number: 06SB2-0311
Amount: $98,999.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: SB062-015
Solicitation Number: 2006.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2006
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2007-01-16
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-09-15
Small Business Information
52-B Cummings Park
Woburn, MA 01801
United States
DUNS: 032691763
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
Principal Investigator
 Ashok Sood
 Principal Investigator
 (781) 503-1200
 aksood@magnoliaoptical.com
Business Contact
 Yash Puri
Title: Executive Vice-President
Phone: (781) 503-1200
Email: yrpuri@magnoliaoptical.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Low cost IR Sensors are needed for a variety of Military and commercial applications such as low cost thermal imagers and the ability to detect and defeat threats such as mortar fire on ground vehicles. SiGe based IR Focal Planes offers a low cost alternative for developing near IR sensors that will not require any cooling and can operate in the NIR band. The attractive features of SiGe based IRFPA’s will take advantage of Silicon based technology, that can promise small feature size and compatibility with the Silicon CMOS circuit for signal processing. Magnolia will collaborate with MIT to conduct feasibility study of an infrared sensor based on SiGe material system and its ability to detect photons emitted by a warm and a variety of hot body. We will conduct simulations to compare the sensitivity of the SiGe detector at its peak wavelength of 1.3 micron to InSb and HgCdTe based IR Focal Plane arrays at a peak wavelength of 4 microns. We will evaluate various device designs for SiGe detectors to simulate and model the performance for low dark current and high quantum efficiency and hence higher SiGe sensor performance. We plan to test SiGe test devices for their electrical and optical properties at room temperature. Based on this analysis and results, a focal plane array design will be selected for implementation in the Phase II effort. The Phase II effort will be focused on building the 2-D SiGe focal plane arrays with high quantum efficiency and low leakage current. Magnolia will also collaborate with BAE systems, iRobot and FLIR Systems for their systems applications.

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

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