Modulation transfer function measurement of an infrared focal plane array by use of the self-imaging property of a canted periodic target

Abstract

We present a new technique for measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF) of a focal plane array (FPA). The main idea is to project a periodic pattern of thin lines that are canted with respect to the sensor's columns. Practically, one aims the projection by using the self-imaging property of a periodic target. The technique, called the canted periodic target test, has been validated experimentally on a specific infrared FPA, leading to MTF evaluation to as great as five times the Nyquist frequency.