High Efficient Read Out Circuits

ongoing

Many defence applications rely on Infrared (IR) optronics systems to detect, recognise, and identify objects or targets during night and day. These systems are composed of IR sensors able to detect electromagnetic radiation within a wavelength spectrum different from the visible one. At the heart of the IR sensor lies the Focal Plane Array, broken down into two functional layers, the detection layer and the Read-Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC). The key features of a ROIC are to provide the electrical interface between each individual detector pixel and its associated readout circuit and to convert the signals provided by the pixel readout circuit into a digital equivalent that can be provided to the sensor output and acquired by the external driving electronics. Currently the mainstream sizes of IR sensors for defence applications are between VGA (640 x 480 pixels) format and SXGA format (1280 x 1024 pixels) and pixel pitch distance between 20 µm and 10 µm. The next generations of IR systems will require longer detection, recognition and identification ranges, large field of views, faster frame rates and higher performance. At IR sensor level, this calls for larger formats and reduction of the pixel pitch distance to typically ≤7,5μm so as not to physically increase the size of the sensor and thus maintain acceptable system costs and mechanical/electrical interfaces. The qualification of a more advanced Complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is mandatory. The HEROIC ambition is to enable European IR sensor suppliers to sustainably design the next generation of EU ROICs for IR sensors for defence applications. HEROIC unites, from across EU, different complementary players in the supply chain, including key system manufacturers and IR technology providers. HEROIC represents a first phase in the securing of the availability of a common advanced fully EU ROIC supply chain compatible with various IR detector technologies and 2D/3D architectures by 2030.