Two-million-pixel SOI diode uncooled IRFPA with 15μm pixel pitch

We report the development of a 2-million-pixel, that is, a 2000 x 1000 array format, SOI diode uncooled IRFPA with 15 μm pixel pitch. The combination of the shrinkable 2-in-1 SOI diode pixel technology, which we proposed last year [1], and the uncooled IRFPA stitching technology has successfully achieved a 2-million-pixel array format. The chip size is 40.30 mm x 24.75 mm. Ten-series diodes are arranged in a 15 μm pixel. In spite of the increase to 2-million-pixels, a frame rate of 30 Hz, which is the same frame rate as our former generation (25 μm pixel pitch) VGA IRFPA, can be supported by the adoption of readout circuits with four outputs. NETDs are designed to be 60 mK (f/1.0, 15 Hz) and 84 mK (f/1.0, 30 Hz), respectively and a τth is designed to be 12 msec. We performed the fabrication of the 2-million-pixel SOI diode uncooled IRFPAs with 15 μm pixel pitch, and confirmed favorable diode pixel characteristics and IRFPA operation where the evaluated NETD and τth were 65 mK (f/1.0, 15 Hz) and 12 msec, respectively.