Abstract Space observations promise greatly improved sensitivity for infrared astronomical observations. This report is a survey of current discrete infrared detector technology. Emphasis is on impurity-doped silicon and germanium photoconductors, as these devices are the most sensitive detectors available from the middle infrared out to beyond 120 um. Following a discussion of the physics of detector operation, a description of fabrication techniques is given. Because the associated electronics are crucial in determining system performance, recent pre-amplifier designs are briefly considered. Under the low backgrounds expected in cryogenic telescopes, photoconductors exhibit multiple time constants, and the ionizing radiation environment in space can give rise to significant variations in detector responsivity. Techniques for dealing with the two kinds of anomalous behavior found in space-borne applications are discussed.
Photoconductive detectors for space IR astronomy
Advances in Space Research ; 2 , 4 ; 59-68
1983-01-01
10 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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