High-operating-temperature (HOT) detector requirements

Third generation IR focal plane arrays will be required to operate at significantly higher temperatures than utilized today. The ultimate aim is operation at room temperature, for nay desired cutoff wavelength in the complete IR spectral bandwidth of 1 to 14 micrometers , with performance characteristics equivalent to those achieved today at 77K. Thermal detectors offer a limited capability of meeting these requirements, particularly for any system not operating at LWIR with a slow frame rate. However, the HOT detector concept, first proposed by Elliott and Ashley, offers the promise of uncooled photon detector across the complete range of the IR spectrum at high speeds. This paper discusses the materials and device properties that are important to successfully reduce this concept to practice, together with the sate of the art in HOT detectors today.