天文应用的红外列阵器件发展概况

Development of IR Array and Its Application in Astronomical

本文叙述天文用红外列阵器件发展的背景和研制过程中遇到的主要困难以及可能的解决途径。在此基础上介绍了使用各种读出电路的列阵器件的基本原理和发展现状,最后介绍几种有代表性的高水平红外列阵器件及其天文应用情况。

The background and the history of the IR array for astronomy, the principle, difficulties in developing, and the possible resolutions are briefly described. The main difficulty in developing the IR array is not the detection of IR radiation, but the readout of the signal, because almost all infrared sensitive materials are not compatible with charge-transforming character. It is usually not easy to make a large-scale monolithic IR array. Most of IR arrays at present are hybrid devices and the connexion between the detectors and readout electronics of these hybrid devices is the key process in the fabrication. A new technique, so-called inner-connexion, has been developed for this purpose. It appears to be successful.The PtSi Schottky Barrer Diodes (SBD) IR detectors are the special kind of IR devices differing from the photovoltaic and photoconductive IR detectors. The most important advantage of this kind of detectors is that their substance is also silicon and the technique is simple and well developed, it will be easy to make the large-scale integrated arrays. It is reported that 512×512 and 1024×1024 PtSi SBD arrays has been developed by Mitsabish.Some important IR arrays used or tested in astronomical observations, were introduced. Among them the 58×62 InSb array made by Santa Barbara Research Center is an advance device and already used in different astronomical observatories. However, in 1～3μm wavelength range, the PtSi SBD array appears to have a quite bright future for astronomical application.