Jun 29 2010
Joint efforts by SiOnyx and the Army Research Office (ARO) have presented pixel-scale detectors, which have a room temperature Detectivity (D*) of greater than 1x10(14) Jones. The demonstration shows a 10-fold improvement over the conventional silicon detectors and marks a record performance.
With this successful demonstration, SiOnyx will be spearheading new researches with the Army Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD).
SiOnyx is trying to commercialize a novel semiconductor processing technique. The new technique shows a new find in designing cost-effective, smaller, efficient silicon photonic devices. The patented semiconductor technique of SiOnyx is developed on the basis of a new laser implant method known as black silicon, which was discovered at Harvard. The semiconductor process improves the light-sensing devices’ performance in several applications in the medical, defense and consumer industries. According to the grant from ARO, SiOnyx has demonstrated the deployment of the semiconductor process in CMOS image sensors and photonic devices for photo-detecting and imaging applications.
DARPA's Program Manager, Dr. Nibir Dhar, has stated that small, efficient infrared cameras at normal room temperature will show its significance in the modern war fighting. Dhar added that black silicon provides a pathway in the development of economical CMOS camera for the near-infrared uses.
Source: http://www.sionyx.com/