Development of UV imaging detectors with atomic layer deposited microchannel plates and cross strip readouts

Siegmund, Oswald H. W.; McPhate, J. B.; Curtis, T.; Darling, N.; Vallerga, J. V.; Cremer, Till; Ertley, Camden

doi:10.1117/12.2561753

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…UV-SCOPE uses two delta-doped EM-CCD detectors [22,23] coated with single-layer AR coatings: AlF3 and Al2O3 for the FUV and NUV, respectively. As shown in Figure 6, the resulting Quantum Efficiency (QE) is generally larger, over a broad spectral range, than the values reached by Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) devices [24]. Figure 6.…”

Section: Detectors and Electronicsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…UV-SCOPE uses two 1K x 2K delta-doped EM-CCD detectors, coated with single-layer AR coatings, and with a small separation between them, to image spectra between 1203 and 4000 Å, with a 10 Å gap beyond 1560 Å. The panel on the left compares the detector QE with state-of-the-art MCPs [24]. Stray light due to target radiation emitted at wavelengths longer than 4000 Å is controlled by a strip of black silicon [25], beyond the sensing area of the detectors (not shown).…”

Section: Detectors and Electronicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The UV-SCOPE mission: ultraviolet spectroscopic characterization of planets and their environments

Ardila

Shkolnik

Ziemer

et al. 2022

Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

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UV-SCOPE is a mission concept to determine the causes of atmospheric mass loss in exoplanets, investigate the mechanisms driving aerosol formation in hot Jupiters, and study the influence of the stellar environment on atmospheric evolution and habitability. As part of these investigations, the mission will generate a broad-purpose legacy database of time-domain ultraviolet (UV) spectra for nearly 200 stars and planets.The observatory consists of a 60 cm, f/10 telescope paired to a long-slit spectrograph, yielding simultaneous, almost continuous coverage between 1203 Å and 4000 Å, with resolutions ranging from 6000 to 240. The efficient instrument provides throughputs > 4% (far-UV; FUV) and > 15% (near-UV; NUV), comparable to HST/COS and much better than HST/STIS, over the same spectral range. A key design feature is the LiF prism, which serves as a dispersive element and provides high throughput even after accounting for radiation degradation. The use of two delta-doped Electron-Multiplying CCD detectors with UV-optimized, single-layer anti-reflection coatings provides high quantum efficiency and low detector noise. From the Earth-Sun second Lagrangian point, UV-SCOPE will continuously observe planetary transits and stellar variability in the full FUV-to-NUV range, with negligible astrophysical background.All these features make UV-SCOPE the ideal instrument to study exoplanetary atmospheres and the impact of host stars on their planets. UV-SCOPE was proposed to NASA as a Medium Explorer (MidEx) mission for the 2021 Announcement of Opportunity. If approved, the observatory will be developed over a 5-year period. Its primary science mission takes 34 months to complete. The spacecraft carries enough fuel for 6 years of operations.

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Section: Detectors and Electronicsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Detectors and Electronicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The UV-SCOPE mission: ultraviolet spectroscopic characterization of planets and their environments

Ardila

Shkolnik

Ziemer

et al. 2022

Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

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“…The detector was fabricated with an ALD processed borosilicate substrate and coated with a cesium iodide (CsI) photocathode. 25 A biased mesh grid is located above the MCP assembly, which enhances the quantum efficiency (QE) of the CsI photocathode. Each segment is connected to its own amplifier and time to digital converter.…”

Section: Detectormentioning

confidence: 99%

The SISTINE-3 sounding rocket payload: calibration and in-flight performance

Behr,

Nell,

Kruczek

et al. 2023

UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XXIII

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The Suborbital Imaging Spectrograph for Transition-region Irradiance from Nearby Exoplanet host stars (SISTINE) is a rocket-borne imaging spectrograph designed to probe a broad region of the far-ultraviolet (FUV; 976-1272, 1300-1565 Å) emission of nearby stars. The instrument is composed of an f /14 Cassegrain telescope feeding a 2.1x magnifying spectrograph with a blazed, holographically ruled diffraction grating and a powered fold mirror. The telescope optics employ enhanced-lithium fluoride overcoated Al, with the secondary mirror providing the first flight test of hot-deoposition LiF coatings employing an ALD deposited aluminum trifluoride (Al + LiF + AlF3) capping layer. Spectra are captured on a large-format microchannel plate detector consisting of two 110 x 40 mm segments. The third flight of SISTINE was successfully executed on July 6th, 2022, from Arnhem Space Center (ASC), Northern Territory, Australia. SISTINE-3 successfully obtained FUV spectra of α Centauri A and B, fully resolving the binary pair with a 7” separation on sky. The spectra contain a suite of FUV emission lines crucial for reconstructing the high-energy stellar radiation incident onto planets orbiting solar-mass stars. We present the pre-flight calibration at the University of Colorado Boulder, including predicted performance, effective area, and resolving power; the integration and assembly performed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) and ASC; and preliminary science results from the in-flight data.

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“…On the technical side, avoiding high voltages and being able to match pixel sizes to the specific application are additional positive factors. For wide FoV applications, CCDs and CMOS detectors can be assembled in close butted mosaics with ∼85% fill factor, supporting imaging applications on a much larger scale than MCPs [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Space missions such as GALEX, Neil Gehrels Swift, and Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph adopted MCP imagers because their sensitivity extends into the far-UV (FUV), while the wide bandgap of their photocathode depresses sensitivity to optical photons and allows them to be operated at room temperature. However, MCPs have relatively low quantum efficiency (QE) [1], require high voltages in space where electrical breakdown is a concern, and are damaged by over-illumination. The latter 1 arXiv:2112.01691v2 [astro-ph.IM] 10 Dec 2021 issue has restricted many astronomical UV telescopes from viewing fields containing bright stars, particularly in the FUV where over-illumination causes severe depletion of the photocathode.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of low light performance of a CMOS Sensor for ultraviolet astronomical applications

Greffe

Smith²,

Sherman³

et al. 2022

X-Ray, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy X

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CMOS detectors offer many advantages over CCDs for optical and UV astronomical applications, especially in space where high radiation tolerance is required. However, astronomical instruments are most often designed for low light-level observations demanding low dark current and read noise, good linearity and high dynamic range, characteristics that have not been widely demonstrated for CMOS imagers. We report the performance, over temperatures from 140 -240 K, of a radiation hardened SRI 4K×2K back-side illuminated CMOS image sensor with surface treatments that make it highly sensitive in blue and UV bands. After suppressing emission from glow sites resulting from defects in the engineering grade device examined in this work, a 0.077 me − /s dark current floor is reached at 160 K, rising to 1 me − /s at 184 K, rivaling that of the best CCDs. We examine the trade-off between readout speed and read noise, finding that 1.43 e − median read noise is achieved using line-wise digital correlated double sampling at 700 kpix/s/ch corresponding to a 1.5 s readout time. The 15 ke − well capacity in high gain mode extends to 120 ke − in dual gain mode. Continued collection of photo-generated charge during readout enables a further dynamic range extension beyond 10 6 e − effective well capacity with only 1% loss of exposure efficiency by combining short and long exposures. A quadratic fit to correct for non-linearity reduces gain correction residuals from 1.5% to 0.2% in low gain mode and to 0.4% in high gain mode. Cross-talk to adjacent pixels is only 0.4% vertically, 0.6% horizontally and 0.1% diagonally. These characteristics plus the relatively large (10µm) pixel size, quasi 4-side buttability, electronic shutter and sub-array readout make this sensor an excellent choice for wide field astronomical imaging in space, even at FUV wavelengths where sky background is very low.

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Development of UV imaging detectors with atomic layer deposited microchannel plates and cross strip readouts

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

The UV-SCOPE mission: ultraviolet spectroscopic characterization of planets and their environments

The UV-SCOPE mission: ultraviolet spectroscopic characterization of planets and their environments

The SISTINE-3 sounding rocket payload: calibration and in-flight performance

Characterization of low light performance of a CMOS Sensor for ultraviolet astronomical applications

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