High operating temperature IR-modules with small pitch for SWaP reduction and high performance applications

Current development efforts in IR-module technology show two major trends: reducing size, weight and power (SWaP) of IR-systems and further increase of system performance by introducing 3rd Gen IR-modules. The key elements to reduce SWaP as well as cost while keeping high electro-optical performance are further reduction of pitch size, implementing compact and low power cooling engines and provide more cost-efficient production of detector arrays. In this paper latest results of IR-detectors (640x512, 15μm pitch) operating at high operation temperatures (HOT) are presented. HOT is the fundamental requirement for achieving above mentioned goals. For advanced reduction of SWaP AIM started the development of a full TV format detector array with 640x480 elements and 12μm pitch size. Megapixel detectors having e.g. 1280x1024 elements belong to next generation of IR-modules and are state-of-the-art choice for the demand of high performance applications for maximum possible spatial resolution. The development status of these large format 2-dimensional detector arrays at AIM will be shown in the paper.