The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is a QWIP based instrument intended to supplement the Operational Land Imager (OLI) for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The TIRS instrument is a dual channel far infrared imager with the two bands centered at 10.8[mu]m and 12.0[mu]m. The focal plane assembly (FPA) consists of three 640x512 GaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) arrays precisely mounted to a silicon carrier substrate that is mounted on an invar baseplate. The two spectral bands are defined by bandpass filters mounted in close proximity to the detector surfaces. The focal plane operating temperature is 43K. The QWIP arrays are hybridized to Indigo ISC9803 readout integrated circuits (ROICs). Two varieties of QWIP detector arrays are being developed for this project, a corrugated surface structure QWIP and a grating surface structure QWIP. This paper will describe the TIRS system noise equivalent temperature difference sensitivity as it affects the QWIP focal plane performance requirements: spectral response, dark current, conversion efficiency, read noise, temperature stability, pixel uniformity, optical crosstalk and pixel yield. Additional mechanical constraints as well as qualification through Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6) will also be discussed

Bundas, Jason

Choi, K.

Jhabvala, C

Jhabvala, M

La, Anh

Reuter, D.

Sundaram, M.

Waczynski, Augustyn

NASA Technical Reports Server

N\isA , , National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center 
The QWIP Focal Plane Assembly for NASA's 
Landsat Data Continuity Mission 
M. Jhabvalal , K. Choil, D. Reuterl , M. Sundaram3 
C. Jhabvalat, Anh Lal , Augustyn Waczynski4 and 
Jason Bundas3 
1 
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 USA 
2 
US Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Road 
Adelphi, Maryland, 20783 USA 
3 QmagiQ, LLC, 22 Cotton Road, Unit H, Snite 180 
Nashna, NH 03063 USA 
4 
Global Science and Technology, 7885 Walker Drive 
Greenbelt, MD 20770 USA 
E-Mail: murzy.d.jhabvala@nasa.gov April,2010 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20130013410 2019-08-31T00:57:23+00:00Z
2 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Background 
The NASA Landsat program has been in service since 1978 providing 
thermal imagery of the earth 
The data has been used for a wide range of applications including: 
• Climate change impact • Monitoring the rain forests 
• Agricultural monitoring • Biomass burning 
• Mapping heat fluxes from cities • Industrial thermal pollution in the atmosphere, rivers and lakes 
• Monitoring air quality • Monitoring/tracking material transport in lakes and coastal regions 
• Monitoring volcanic activity • Identifying insect breeding areas 
• Water rights disputes resolution 
Landsat 7 was launched in 1999 'with a 5 year mission life requirement 
The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) is scheduled to be launched in 
December 2012 to continue the Landsat Program legacy-joint NASA-USGS mission 
The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is a late addition 
10.5-12.5 p.1m IR imaging instrument 
3 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Detector Technology Selection Rationale 
Starting in 2004, studies were conducted at Goddard to recommend a detector technology for a thermal IR 
instrument on the upcoming Landsat Data Continuity Mission. 
At that time only HgCdTe and microbolometers were considered. The selection criteria was based on: 
- Performance requirements 
- Availability 
- Delivery schedule 
- Cost 
During this review it was determined that microbolometers were a more promising detector technology 
choice over HgCdTe based on cost and delivery schedule, even though technically the HgCdTe was more 
than adequate. QWIP technology was not considered because insufficient data existed on their longwave, 
broadband performance (8-12 Ilm). 
The microbolometer-based instrument was pursued for -3 years and then encountered technical, funding 
and programmatic issues (while the LDCM kept marching on with the main OLI instrument). 
The entire TIRS concept was revisited in 2008 because: 
- Performance limitations of micro bolometers (time constant, TDI for NEAT spec, low f/#) 
- Severely reduced delivery schedule to start over 
- Even more uncertainty to pursue MCT with reduced schedule and severe cost constraints 
- Emergence of broad band far IR QWIP technology 
4 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Project Overview 
1. Design/fabricate a 640 x 512, 10.5-12.5Ilm GaAs QWIP with an Indigo 9803 ROIC 
2. Design/fabricate a custom silicon carrier board 
3. Assemble 3 "Grade A" QWIP hybrids into a Flight Focal Plane Assembly (FPA) 
4. Install narrow bandpass fIlters 
5. Perform radiation (gamma, protons, heavy ions) and environmental tests 
6. Incorporate Teledyne "SIDECAR" ASIC into control electronics 
7. Fully characterize the arrays and the Flight FPA 
8. Delivery of a Flight and Flight Spare required by July 2010 «2 years start to finish) 
-Nadir 
Baffle 
5 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Laadsat Data Continuity Mission 
Spacecraft 
Scene 
Mechanism 
Scene 
Mirror 
I Baffle 
L 
Telescope 
Optics 
QWIP 
FPA 
Instrument 
Deck 
Interface 
Cryocooler 
Electronics 
/ 
Main Electronics 
Box (MEB) 
OLi 
• 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
TIRS Focal Plane Requirements 
-Spacecraft altitude: 705 kin 
-Across track speed: 7 kmlsec 
-Two spectral bands: 10.3-ll.3"m; ll.S-12.SI'M 
-NEAl (320K) 0.059/0.049 W/m2sr "m 
-Optics (T-160K): fl1.64 
-Pixel size: 2S"m x 2S"m 
-Ground resolution: 100m1lpixel 
-Operating temperature: 43K 
Within each mter band on each Sensor Chip Array (SCA), the FPA shall provide at least 3 unique pixel rows which can 
be combined through ground processing so that any combination of 2 rows has fewer that 0.1 % of the pixel elements 
that meet operability requirements for any continuous data collection period up to 44 minutes. 
Pixel operability defined as: 
-CEandID 
-ID variation at nom. stable operating conditions 
-CE variation at nom. stable operating conditions 
-Read noise 
-Full well capacity 
At the nominal operating temperature of 43K, the FPA shall 
have a combination of Con version Efficiency (CE) and dark 
cu"ent (InJ such that the predicted NEAT for either band 
viewing a 300K target is less than 0.33K. 
<0.2% of mean over 44 min 
<0.1 % of mean over 44 min 
<S50e-
>SMe- (llMe- max.) 
-When mounted to the invar baseplate, the photoactive area of the 3 detector arrays shall all be within ± 10.0"m of each other. 
-The FPA will survive 40 thermal cycles from -300K-17K. 
7 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
TIRS NEAT System Requirements 
NEAT <0.33K: 300K source; ~nt=5.5ms; over the entire 10.5-12.3 11m spectral band 
NEAT -
St:.T 
I 2 - ·2 + ·2 + ·2 + ·2 n - I shot, dark I I shot, signal I A T,telescope bkgrnd I A T,telescope bkgrnd 
+ ·2 + ·2 + ·2 + ·2 + ·2 I AT,mirror I AT,tel optics I ROIC read I elec, noise I AID noise 
M c I)""T f ' ( )-1 Q()",)~ B l:lr J.., )",-4. e 2 -1 d)'" (ph/sec-cm2-sr) 
S - o· t. . T . A . CE . Q(},.) 
Ti mt opt D 
S =0 · t. ·T . A . CE · BI :lr[fA\-4 . (eC2 I)",' 7; _ 1)-1 d)",] <e) 
Ti mt opt D A, 
B =1.88 .IQ23 m 3/cm2 - sec 
c2 =1.44· IQ4m - K 
AD !!!6.3 ·IQ-4cm 2 
W = p/(1 + 4f/#2 ) 
Topt = IT E,OptiC trans 
T2 = 7] + IK; (AT - IK) 
t:.A = ltun 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
TIRS Nominal Model Parameters 
F-number 1.64 
Temperature of target 300K 
Temperature of QWIP 43K 
Detector T stability O.01K 
Background T stability O.10K 
Temperature of optics (K) 180K 
Optics T stability O.10K 
Mirror Temperature (K) 293K 
Mirror Temperature stability 1K 
ROle read noise 550e 
FPE added noise 1,OOOe 
AID (bits) 12 
Integration time 5.5ms 
Full well >5Me 
8 
Noise Source Contribution (e2) 
.2 1.32E+OS 1 shot, dark 
.2 4.17E+OS 1 shot, signal 
.2 S.88E+OS 1'T telescone bkl!rnd 
.2 1.2SE+06 1 AT,Idark 
.2 9.88E+04 1 AT,mirror 
.2 7.1SE+02 1 AT tel ontics 
.2 3.03E+OS 1 read noise 
.2 1.00E+06 1 FPE noise 
.2 4.87E+OS 1 AID noise 
[1:12source1112 2.07E+03 
SIGNAL(S) 6.29E+03 
2112 
NEdT=[l:IT1 /S =O.329K 
Focal Plane I.Jayout 
_---A ...... 
UIn
-
DS
-... Focal Plane Substrate r '\ 
2t pi¥P1 
ov"'ap 
21 plxel 
overlap 
. 
........... -----~I •• =========== Tutal 'i • . 18511 pixel cohmm''=::..::=======---.~I 
100m GSD; 185 km swath width 
9 
,--,Aft rows 
~30 rows 
C O!URID 1857 ~30 rows 
A sing!e science data read 
corsist!l of two rows e2cb f1·om 
ti!le 10.8 &ud 12 lim bands and 2 
rows of dal'k cunent data. 
Each row lIas 1920 pixels 
spanning all thl·ee SeAs. 
511, 
255 - .... 
10 
Row Identification on 
QWlPHybrid 
row496 
__ row467 
row434 
row413 
r-- row387 
t--- row3S8 
row255 
0,639 
11 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
GaAs QWIP Array Fabrication 
Th'o parallel paths for QWIP array 
fabrication and hybridization 
1. QWIP arrays fabricated jointly by GSFC/ARL in 
based on corrugated light coupling mechanism. 
2. QWIP arrays fabricated by QmagiQ, LLC based 
on a .grating light coupling mechanism structure. 
Both processes produce similar perfornilng devices 
12 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
2.5 - --- -
2 
-";!!. 
; 1.5 
o 
.! 
~ 
~ 1 
.c 
<C 
0.5 --
Conversion Efficiency (CE) 
(Grating QWlP) 
I 1--+-O.8V 
,--+- O.6V 
I I-+- O.4V 
i , 
, 
, 
, 
, 
- ____ 1-_ 
r 
if At y+, 
,r U I " l'/ i · · 'i, 
.i .Jf----" .... .. ~--.~.- .--~ 
. / ' / ' i- - /~ ~ --- -
: .. --~'/./ i 
! ..... - - - +  ~ , 
: / --' -$--'-- : I 
.: ---. ~ ---~-~---~ I 
' -,- -----
o ------rurh'.s.---lr -- ----t--- - ------3 
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 
Wavelength flm 
13 
-~ o 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Conversion Efficiency (CE) 
(Grating QWIP) 
2.5 --
2--------- - - ----- -- - - ---- -------~- -- - ,------ - - - - ----
- ... ·O.8V 
-+- O.6V 
; 1.5 
-+- O.4V 
o 
1 
0.5 - I -~---- --'-~'---~r--- ------------ --- -- -- ---
, 
7 8 9 10 11 12 
Wavelength JIm 
\ 
\ ! 
\ I 
---\'-.----~ 
13 
\ 
\ 
\ ~­
'-. 
14 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
C-QWIP Conversion Efficiency 
" j 
3.5 .,..----
'·'I! 
-~ 2.5 
= '-' 
~ 
U 2.0 
Q.j 
-= 
-
I:) 
~ 
.J:l 1.5 
-<: 
6.5 
- "'-'-- -.-----~ ---
T-4'3 
--Bias Voltage = 5.0V I 
--Bias Voltage = 3.5V [-
..... Bias Voltage = 2.0V 
--Bias Voltage = 1.1V 
7.5 8.5 9.5 10.5 
Wavelength plm 
11.5 
,---- - - -"-----"-'--", 
I ' 
1-, -----
I 
I 
I 
- 1- -------
I 
I 
: 
\ ! 
'\\1 \ ~ : 
\'\ !\ 
'Y~-.fl.t:- d , ____________ ________ _ 
! !-
I 
I 
12.3 12.5 13.5 14.5 
15 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Relative Spectral Response for Two Temperatures 
(Grating) 
tJI 
I r\ 
.....- T=43K 0.8 
_T=37,5K 
I 
, 
I I\.. 
" 
)' 
/ ~=-=I' ~ 
.. " 
/~ ~ V 0.2 
D.D 
l 
~ r--:-".,...--
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 
Wavelength pm 
N~"" , ) 
.. 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Grating-based QWIP Dark Current Pixel Plot for 3 rows 
V det=O.60V; T det=43K 
- -- ------~ 
in 3.SE+07 
"i" 
CI) 
:::- 3.0E+07 
c: 
~ 2.SE+07 
:::l (J 2.0E+07 ~ 
IV 
C 1.SE+07 
1.0E+07 
--Row 368 
- - Row 369 
Row 370 1 
S.OE+06 .- ._- .-- -_ ..... __ ...... - - --- ... - ..... - - --------
- --
J 
O.OE+OO _ .. __ . __ ._ .•. _-- ""'-~""~"'-.-.'-'--.-"--'--- -' '--------r-'' -' ---:--~ 
o 100 200 300 400 500 600 
Column Number 
17 
.-. 
"C 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
1.4E+08
T 
--
1.2E+08 
C-Dark Current Pixel Plot for 3 rows 
V det=O.60V; T det=43K 
c 1.0E+08 .. - --_. __ . . _--- - -- --- .. _-- - -- --_. ---- ---- .-- -- .. _._-8 
CI) 
~ 
c 8.0E+07 +--.. ---- ---.----- -- ---- .---.------- -- ---.-----.------.--.---._-----. - --.-.-------
e 
ti 
CI) 
.!. 6.0E+07 
~ 
~ 4.0E+07 
IV 
C 
- Row 366 I 
- Row 367 
-_.- Row 368 I 
2.0E+07 1----------------
O.OE+OO 
o 100 200 300 400 
Column Number 
500 600 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Unthinned C-QWIP Optical Cross Talk 
(using customized silicon pinhole mask) 
Pinhole mask layout C-QWIP with pinhole mask on top 
Each pinhole is 20J1m in diameter; spacing starts at 503J1m and increments by 4.0J1m 
both horizontally and vertically for each subsequent pinhole. There 18 columns and 
16 rows (not to scale). 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
C-QWIP Optical Cross Talk 
Pixel pitch -25J1.m x 25J1.m 
Diffraction limit (airy disk diameter, D); 
sinO=1.22JJdn=13.4° 
D=2tTanO/2+20Jl.m=30.5J1.m 
where, 
A.-12.5J1.m (LW 50%) 
t=thickness of GaAs over active quantum well region -45J1.m 
d=aperture diameter, 20Jl.m 
n=index of refraction for GaAs-3.3 
2. 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
NEAT Analysis at Tnet=43K 
Optimum Bias Conditions, Tsonrce-300K 
In::::1.1ESe/s (C-QWIP); ::::1.4ESe/s (Grating QWIP) 
Worst case CE at 12.3"m::::O.S% (C-QWIP); ::::1.5% (Grating QWIP) 
SYSTEl\1J NEAT=O.199K (C-QWIP); =O.167K(Grating QWIP) 
__________________________________________________ 1 
QWIP NEAT (based on g-r, read noise only); measured ROIC read noise=300e 
Grating QWIP: 
NEAT= O.052K at 12.3"m; NEAT= O.0305K at peak l (-11.2"m) 
C-QWIP: 
NEAT= O.074K at 12.3"m; NEAT= O.0374K at peak l (-11.3"m) 
Both devices meet TIRS specifications. Selection will be determined by 
system test results which include focal plane operating T, T stability and 
spectral uniformity. 
21 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
TIRS Flight Performance Unit 
(Engineering Test Unit) 
Focal plane with 3 QWIP hybrids 
(2-QmagiQ, l-ARL/GSFC) 
Focal plane with fil~er assembly mounted 
over the QWIP arrays 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
TIRS Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 
There are 9 Technology Readiness Levels: TRL 1 is "Basic principles observed and reported; TRL 9 is "Actual 
system 'ffight proven' through successful mission operation". 
TRL 6 demonstration is the basis for acceptance into a NASA Space Flight mission "System/subsystem model 
or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment" . 
The TIRS Flight Performance Unit:AU critical thermal interfaces on the TIRS FPA have been tested 
• All components and adhesives are thermally compatible with each other proven by test or high confidence 
by analysis ..... .-......... IC:yc ... 
'" 
·Performed forty (40) thermal cycles from 300K to 77K 
'" 
·Performed complete FPA vibration to LDCM qualification levels: '5O 
-Sine sweep, sine burst and random 
Sine Burst 
Level: 15 G 
r:re'1 uency: 20 H 7. 
Duration: 5 CyclEs/min 
g 
; 21D 
! fno 
~ 
". 
·Tested the Indigo 9803 to 35Krads total ionizing radiation dose (C0 60) 
- --_._- ----
1 
·Tested the Indigo 9803 to a cumulative 63.3 MeV, TID = 20 krad(Si) and proton fluence = 1.5x10tt p/cm2 . 
.il I l~·EsrI'S "lERE' SI "' ( >'C"E'SS"'7' (' It I " ('~ (')l\.IPl I·'T'E[ l '- -' ", '. ,J !.. l,.. , l" 1 . ·r ~ J . .' ,. _~ I.,., ,r .1 ·f. _. .c: .' Jl" , .i:, ... ) 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Summary 
• We have a unique opportunity to develop a QWIP-based earth observing 
instrument for one of the nations pre-eminent resources-the Landsat Program. 
• The project is pursuing an extremely aggressive path to meet schedule. 
• The collaborative and extremely interactive relationship between Goddard, the 
Army Research Lab, QmagiQ and our vendors is absolutely key to the success of 
this project. 
• Much of the design and fabrication is based on Space Flight hardware developed 
for previous NASA missions (most notably the James Webb Space Telescope). 
• All hardware has been designed and fabricated, current emphasis is on the 
QWIP development. 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Canter 
Aelmowledgements 
The authors would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their 
invaluable support to this NASA LandsatITIRS project: 
At Goddard: 
Tom Hartman, Larry Hess, Audrey Ewin, Ron Hu, Nick Costen, Fred Wang, Roger 
Foltz, Emily Kan, Nick Boehm, Ruth Bradley, Ed Wassell, Duncan Kahle, Allen 
Lunsford, Bob Rosenberry, Greg Delo, Tim Miller, Avery Miles, Carol Sappington, 
Laddawan Miko, Trang Nguyen, Tomoko Adachi, Jay Cho, Bing Guan, Betsy Pugel, 
Stephen Snodgrass, Brent Mott, Phil Goodwin and Sherry Warner 
At the Army Research Laboratory: 
Jason Sun 
At QmagiQ, LLC: 
Axel Reisinger, Rich Dennis, Kelly Patnaude and Doug Burrows 
We would also like to express our appreciation to Indigo Corp. (especially Jim 
Woolaway and Susan Petronio), Intelliepi, Corp. and IQE for their critical 
and ongoing support. 


The QWIP Focal Plane Assembly for NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission

The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is a QWIP based instrument intended to supplement the Operational Land Imager (OLI) for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The TIRS instrument is a dual channel far infrared imager with the two bands centered at 10.8 m and 12.0 m. The focal plane assembly (FPA) consists of three 640x512 GaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) arrays precisely mounted to a silicon carrier substrate that is mounted on an invar baseplate. The two spectral bands are defined by bandpass filters mounted in close proximity to the detector surfaces. The focal plane operating temperature is 43K. The QWIP arrays are hybridized to Indigo ISC9803 readout integrated circuits (ROICs). Two varieties of QWIP detector arrays are being developed for this project, a corrugated surface structure QWIP and a grating surface structure QWIP. This paper will describe the TIRS system noise equivalent temperature difference sensitivity as it affects the QWIP focal plane performance requirements: spectral response, dark current, conversion efficiency, read noise, temperature stability, pixel uniformity, optical crosstalk and pixel yield. Additional mechanical constraints as well as qualification through Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6) will also be discussed

The QWIP Focal Plane Assembly for NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission

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