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Raytheon is producing high-quality 320 x 240 microbolometer FPAs with 25 µm pitch pixels. The 320 x 240 FPAs have a sensitivity that is comparable to microbolometer FPAs with 50 µm pixels. Typical NETD values for these FPAs are <50mK with an f/1 aperture and operating at 30 Hz frame rates. Pixel operability is greater than 99.9% on most FPAs, and uncorrected responsivity nonuniformity is less than 4% (sigma/mean). These 25 µm microbolometer detectors also have a relatively fast thermal time constant of approximately 10 msec. These arrays have produced excellent image quality, and are currently fielded in a variety of demonstration systems.The pixel size reduction facilitates a significant FPA cost reduction since the number of die printed on a wafer can be increased, and also has enabled the development of a large-format 640 x 480 FPA array.Raytheon is producing these arrays with excellent sensitivity and typical NETD values of <50mK with an f/1 aperture and operating at 30 Hz frame rates. These arrays have excellent operability and image quality. Several dual FOV prototype 640 x 480 systems have been delivered under the LCMS and UAV programs.RVS has developed a flexible uncooled front end (UFE) electronics that will serve as the basis for the camera engine systems using 320 x 240 arrays. RVS has developed a 640 x 480 Common Uncooled Engine (CUE) which is intended for small pixel, high performance applications. The CUE is the ideal cornerstone for ground and airborne systems, multi-mode sensor, weapon sight or seeker architectures, and commercial surveillance.

Raytheon Systems Company has developed a prototype infrared imaging rifle-sight using an uncooled, microbolometer EPA. The high-sensitivity FPA (SBRC-151) used in the Long-wavelength Staring Sensor (LWSS) was developed by Raytheon Infrared Center of Excellence (IR COE). The NETD (noise equivalent temperature difference) sensitivity of the camera has been measured at 14 mK with fYi optics and at 74 mK with an 172.1 aperture stop. Excellent imagery has been demonstrated with the 172.1 aperture. The 320 x 240 FPA utilizes a high-yield CMOS readout integrated circuit (ROIC) that achieves high sensitivity, low output nonuniformity, and large scene dynamic range. The ROIC provides multi-level, on-chip nonuniformity correction and on-chip temperature compensation. The FPA has 50 ,im x 50 im pixels and operates at frame rates up to 60 Hz with a single output.The LWSS was characterized by the US Army's NVESD in 1997 using an earlier version of the SBRC-151 FPA. The NVESD measurements validated the Raytheon NETD data. The NVESD evaluation also demonstrated outstanding MRT and spatial noise characteristics.The VO, microbolometer detectors are produced at the Raytheon JR COE facility in Santa Barbara, CA using an advanced dry-etch fabrication process. In addition to the LWSS project, the JR COE has initiated production of the microbolometer FPAs (AE-189) for commercial applications. Over 600 FPAs have been produced on this project, and data is presented for the first 250 FPAs that have been packaged and tested. The pixel operability of the production radiometer FPAs (AE-189) is typically greater than 99.9%.

Raytheon Systems Company has developed a prototype infrared imaging rifle-sight using an uncooled, microbolometer FPA. The high-sensitivity FPA (SBRC-151) used in the Longwavelength Staring Sensor (LWSS) was developed by Raytheon Infrared Center of Excellence (IR COE). The NETD (noise equivalent temperature difference) sensitivity of the camera has been measured at 14 mK with f 1 optics and at 74 mK with an f/2.1 aperture stop. Excellent imagery has been demonstrated with the f/2.1 aperture. The 320 x 240 FPA utilizes a high-yield CMOS readout integrated circuit (ROIC) that achieves high sensitivity, low output nonuniformity, and large scene dynamic range. The ROIC provides multi-level, on-chip nonuniformity correction and on-chip temperature compensation. The FPA has 50 |im x 50 |im pixels and operates at frame rates up to 60 Hz with a single output.The LWSS was characterized by the US Army's NVESD in 1997 using an earlier version of the SBRC-151 FPA. The NVESD measurements validated the Raytheon NETD data. The NVESD evaluation also demonstrated outstanding MRT and spatial noise characteristics.The VO x microbolometer detectors are produced at the Raytheon IR COE facility in Santa Barbara, CA using an advanced dry-etch fabrication process. In addition to the LWSS project, the IR COE has initiated production of the microbolometer FPAs (AE-189) for commercial applications. Over 600 FPAs have been produced on this project, and data is presented for the first 250 FPAs that have been packaged and tested. The pixel operability of the production radiometer FPAs (AE-189) is typically greater than 99.9%.

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