Further characterization of Rockwell Scientific LWIR HgCdTe detector arrays

Future infrared space missions will undoubtedly employ passively cooled focal plane arrays (T ~ 30K), as well as passively cooled telescopes. Most long-wave detector arrays (e.g. Si:As IBC) require cooling to temperatures of ~ 6-8K. We have been working with Rockwell Scientific Company to produce <= 10 micron cutoff HgCdTe detector arrays that, at temperatures of ~30K, exhibit sufficiently low dark current and sufficiently high detective quantum efficiency, as well as high uniformity in these parameters, to be interesting for astronomy. Our goal is to achieve dark current below the target value of ~ 30 e-/s/pixel with at least 60mV of actual reverse bias across the diodes at T ~ 30K. To this end, Rockwell Scientific Company has delivered three 10 micron cutoff HgCdTe low dark current detector arrays with small capacitance diodes for characterization in Rochester. The most recent presentation showed the remarkable preliminary performance of the first of these devices. We present further results on the first device along with results on the subsequent two deliveries.