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Since it's founding in 1980, Fermionics Corporation has been committed to the advancement of infrared material and device technology. Today, Fermionics' family of products includes HgCdTe Photoconductive and Photovoltaic discrete detectors, HgCdTe arrays and focal planes, and HgCdTe epitaxial materials. Fermionics pioneered the use of liquid phase epitaxy and heterojunction processing to develop low leakage current long wavelength HgCdTe detectors and arrays sensitive out to 16 microns wavelength. Photoconductive (PC) detectors are offered in liquid nitrogen (LN) dewars at wavelengths of 12,13, and 16 µm. Photovoltaic (PV) detectors for room temperature operation are offered at 2.5 µm wavelength; LN dewar mounted PV detectors are offered for wavelengths of 5 - 13 µm. Fermionics also offers linear arrays with or without multiplexers, and two dimensional arrays (up to 256 x 256) with Indium ball bumps.
Working with the Air Force under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Fermionics scientists designed a program to address the material issues in order to improve the yield of producing the HgCdTe FPAs. Based on experimental data and theoretical predictions, a number of defects in the HgCdTe existing semiconductors were discovered. Company scientists then engineered a series of processes to minimize the densities of these defects. As a result, the quality of the semiconductor improved drastically. In three years, short-wave, mid-wave, and long-wave HgCdTe linear arrays and two-dimensional focal plane arrays in the 320x256 format have been successfully produced. At the conclusion of the contract, two cameras in different wavelength bands were delivered to the Air Force.
AEDC's Transition Officer said, "High operability HgCdTe focal plane arrays are needed to extend the wavelength range of infrared imaging systems such as infrared cameras. These focal plane arrays have various uses within the Air Force, and in particular at AEDC, such as infrared signature measurements of threats, verification of infrared suppression technologies in military aircraft, and near ambient thermal imagery for leak detection. Ultimately, we expect to incorporate a long wavelength FPA in a hyperspectral imagery system now being developed at AEDC. This device will further Air Force capabilities to accurately acquire background subtracted infrared images of threats which is presently very difficult and time consuming."
The technology developed under this program found immediate military applications. The new linear long-wave HgCdTe arrays are currently used in tanks for command control, in smart bombs for identification, and in advanced missiles for searching and tracking. Fermionics material has also been sold to Raytheon for them to fabricate long-wavelength HgCdTe arrays for Northrup-Grumman's Brilliant Anti-Tank Missiles. Imaging picture taken by a 320x256, 9.7 µm, heterojunction, LWIR HgCdTe camera showing repair areas.
Dr. Muren Chu
Fermionics Corporation
4555 Runway Street
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Phone: (805) 582-0155
Website: http://www.fermionics.com/
Email: M.Chu@Fermionics.com
