Precise annealing of focal plane arrays for optical detection
| DWPI Title: Precise annealing method of focal plane array (FPA) for optical detectors, involves applying laser beam or focused acoustical energy to identified defective region of FPA to anneal defective region without annealing non-defective region |
| Abstract: Precise annealing of identified defective regions of a Focal Plane Array (“FPA”) (e.g., exclusive of non-defective regions of the FPA) facilitates removal of defects from an FPA that has been hybridized and/or packaged with readout electronics. Radiation is optionally applied under operating conditions, such as under cryogenic temperatures, such that performance of an FPA can be evaluated before, during, and after annealing without requiring thermal cycling. |
| Use: Precise annealing method of focal plane array (FPA) for optical detectors used in an optical system. |
| Advantage: The focused annealing methods target only defective regions of a sensory layer of the FPA, allowing much higher temperatures to be applied to the defective regions when compared to conventional method, thus further allowing for increased yield, reduced dark current, and reduced noise in FPA. Precise annealing improves performance of pixels in the defective region without annealing and/or potentially damaging pixels in non-defective regions of the FPA. Manufacturing cost of FPA is reduced, and time needed to manufacture FPA is reduced. |
| Novelty: The annealing method (300) involves receiving a FPA (304) with an identified defective region corresponding to a defective pixel. The electrical response values from a read-out integrated circuit (ROIC) layer of the FPA is read (308) under a dark condition. A portion of the FPA is irradiated (322) based upon the values read from the ROIC layer by irradiating the defective region (318) to anneal the defective region without annealing a non-defective region. The defective region is irradiated by applying a laser beam or focused acoustical energy to the identified defective region. |
| Filed: 8/1/2013 |
| Application Number: US13956868A |
| Tech ID: SD 12118.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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