SBIR-STTR Award

Aymont Technology, Inc. (Aymont) will demonstrate the feasibility of SiC p-i-n avalanche photodiodes (APD) arrays. Aymont will demonstrate 4 x 4 arrays of 2 mm2 APDs for visible-blind high-sensitivity UV detection. These arrays will exhibit high gain (10^6), high quantum efficiency (peak < 50%), and high speed (). They will demonstrate scalability, allowing for larger arrays (20 x 20) in Phase 2. They will give nearly 2x the quantum efficiency of other solid state solutions such as Si at UV wavelengths.

In this Phase 2 SBIR program submitted to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in response to Topic S1.05 (Detector Technologies for UV, X-Ray, Gamma-Ray and Cosmic-Ray Instruments), Aymont Technology, Inc. (Aymont) and GE Global Research will enable high-sensitivity ultraviolet imaging. We will build upon our Phase 1 result showing working SiC UV avalanche photodiodes with high quantum efficiency as well as GE's product expertise in SiC photodiodes. Our team will demonstrate 16 x 16 arrays of SiC photodiodes including electronics for visible-blind high-sensitivity ultraviolet (UV) detection. We will demonstrate imaging using these arrays at UV wavelengths. In order to enable large scale arrays needed for future NASA missions, we will also demonstrate a 3 x 3 array of SiC photodiodes and avalanche photodiodes without front side contacts. In Phase 3, this array will be scaled to VGA dimensions (640 x 480) and utilized by NASA and others as the best-performing choice for UV imaging in space, satellite, security, and other applications. Additionally, APD arrays will be enabled. These will give the capability of imaging where each pixel has the sensitivity of a PMT.