Proceedings Article | 27 May 2022
KEYWORDS: Staring arrays, Manufacturing, Long wavelength infrared, Black bodies, Microbolometers, Interference (communication), Infrared sensors, Sensors, Cameras, Readout integrated circuits
The characterization process of longwave infrared focal plane arrays (LWIR FPA) requires that some parameters be previously set, in order to evaluate the main figures of merit (FOM). Manufacturers of FPAs set these parameters differently, which makes it difficult to compare the performance of two FPAs from different manufacturers. In this sense, this work investigates the influence of two parameters - integration time and reference temperatures - on four FPA FOM: operability, uniformity, signal transfer function (SiTF), and noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD). The FOM were evaluated for different values of integration time and reference temperatures. As a result, it was found that, in the case of the FPA under test, the values of the FOM provided by the manufacturer's datasheet could be optimized. For reference temperatures and integration time, respectively, set as 20°C, 35°C, and 67 μs, the values obtained for the operability, NETD, and SiTF were 99.98%, 59 mK, and 3.0 mV/K, respectively. On the other hand, for reference temperatures and integration time set as 25°C, 60°C, and 240 μs, the values obtained for the operability, NETD, and SiTF were 99.98%, 30 mK, and 10.2 mV/K.
