SWIR detectors for low photon fluxes

Active and passive short-wave infrared (SWIR) detection systems for surveillance and remote sensing applications are mostly required to detect extremely low photon fluxes. This can be achieved by utilizing the internal signal gain as provided by avalanche photodiodes (APDs). We report on our current development activities of SWIR photodetectors based on InGaAs/InAlAs/InP APDs, covering detector design, epitaxial growth, process technology, and electro-optical characterization results of single-element detectors and fanout hybrids. For the first time, the operation of an InGaAsbased SWIR camera with 640 × 512 pixels utilizing APDs for signal amplification is demonstrated for operating temperatures of 180 K and even 260 K.

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