Next generation of infrared focal plane arrays for the Air Forcespace electronics must be large-format, high data rates, lowpower dissipation, and high radiation resistance. Galliumarsenide (GaAs) technology advances have shown the capabilityfor producing very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits fordigital computing applications. The intent of this project is toextend this GaAs technology to the analog readout electronics.The objective of this project is to develop complementaryheterostructure field effect transistor (CHFET) readoutintegrated circuits (ROIC) for the Air Force infrared focalplane arrays (IR-FPAs). The main advantages of GaAs CHFETreadout electronics are high speed, low power, high radiationresistance, and low temperature operation. The key technicaltasks (and anticipated results) of the Phase I project include:a) specification development, b) multiplexer architecture, andc) readout circuits.The primary application of this project isfor the Air Force, military, and aerospace infrared sensingneeds, it is applicable to many commercial microsensor needs aswell. Top-Vu will generate a GaAs cell library readilyapplicable to high performance sensors, micromachines, signalprocessors and data acquisition systems for commercialindustries. The GaAs cell library will be made availablecommercially. Our goal is to integrate these GaAs-based readoutelectronics with our other GaAs microsensors being developed tocreate powerful next generation microsystems. Top-Vu Technologyhasreceived commercialization support from the MinnesotaConsortium for Defense Conversion.
