Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Hgcdte Focal Plane Array Cost Modeling, Thomas J. Sanders, Glenn T. Hess

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

Focal plane arrays (FPAs) are used in many applications for detecting infrared (IR) radiation where normal sight with light in the visible spectrum is not possible. To effectively detect this IR radiation, complex semiconductor diodes, cooled to low temperatures, are usually used. The most common of these semiconductor materials is the II-VI alloy semiconductor system using HgCdTe, which is often called MCT. Focal plane arrays with over 1000 pixels have been fabricated. The cost of these very complex systems is becoming a very important consideration in decisions of where to use these FPAs. The focal plane array actually consists of …