Noise measurements of HgCdTe LWIR arrays with CCD readouts

Investigations of performance of mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) multipixel arrays at T≈80 K are considered. MCT hybrid arrays for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) applications with n+-p-diodes and n-channel charged coupled devices (CCD) silicon readouts were designed, manufactured and tested. For testing procedure the measurements of noise and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are the key issues to determine performance parameters to characterize IR-sensors. That puts certain requirements to the registration system and methods of measuring used. The noise of the signals from LWIR-photodiodes with CCD readouts or CCD readouts itself was measured using several different techniques. To find out and eliminate noise sources the spectral noise power of signals was analyzed. It allowed the possibility to implement actions for reducing of the registration system noise, and to define the software noise filters to be used. The testing procedure of FPA performance characteristics includes the measurements of detectivity D*, noise equivalent temperature difference NETD, cut-off wavelength and some other parameters of the arrays.