Ultrahigh-temperature emitter pixel development for scene projectors

Abstract

To meet the needs of high fidelity infrared sensors, under the Ultra High Temperature (UHT) development program, Santa Barbara Infrared Inc. (SBIR) has developed new infrared emitter materials capable of achieving extremely high temperatures. The current state of the art arrays based on the MIRAGE-XL generation of scene projectors is capable of producing imagery with mid-wave infrared (MWIR) apparent temperatures up to 700K with response times of 5 ms. The Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) Test and Evaluation/Science and Technology (TandE/SandT) Program through the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentations (PEO STRI) has contracted with SBIR and its partners to develop a new resistive array based on these new materials, using a high current Read-In Integrated Circuit (RIIC) capable of achieving higher temperatures as well as faster frame rates. The status of that development will be detailed within this paper, including performance data from prototype pixels.