Mr. James A. Stobie Profile

James A. Stobie

at BAE Systems Inc

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Proceedings Article | 12 September 2007 Paper

VLIWR HgCdTe staring focal plane array development

James Stobie, Allen Hairston, Steve Tobin, Marion Reine, Bob Minich, Joseph Welsch, John Marciniec

Proceedings Volume 6660, 66600L (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.729369

KEYWORDS: Staring arrays, Sensors, Mercury cadmium telluride, Photodiodes, Diffusion, Liquid phase epitaxy, Quantum efficiency, Indium, Heterojunctions, Semiconducting wafers

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Proceedings Article | 18 May 2006 Paper

Advanced readout integrated circuit signal processing

Allen Hairston, James Stobie, Rosanne Tinkler

Proceedings Volume 6206, 62062Z (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.667806

KEYWORDS: Readout integrated circuits, Staring arrays, Signal processing, Sensors, Capacitors, Interference (communication), Analog electronics, Microbolometers, Cadmium sulfide, Capacitance

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Proceedings Article | 22 August 2005 Paper

Performance of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) in the radiation environment of low-earth orbit

Margaret Weiler, Kenneth Overoye, James Stobie, Paul O'Sullivan, Steven Gaiser, Steven Broberg, Denis Elliott

Proceedings Volume 5882, 588210 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.615244

KEYWORDS: Calibration, Radiation effects, Infrared radiation, Sensors, Staring arrays, Readout integrated circuits, Earth's atmosphere, Mercury cadmium telluride, Signal processing, Space operations

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Proceedings Article | 4 November 2004 Paper

Update on the imaging sensor for GIFTS

James Stobie, Stephen Tobin, Peter Norton, Mark Hutchins, Kwok-Keung Wong, Ronald Huppi, Ray Huppi

Proceedings Volume 5543, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.566494

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Staring arrays, Medium wave, Fourier transforms, Long wavelength infrared, Mid-IR, Semiconducting wafers, Infrared imaging, Optical sensors, Spectroscopy

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Proceedings Article | 18 December 2002 Paper

Imaging sensor for the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS)

James Stobie, Allen Hairston, Stephen Tobin, Ronald Huppi, Ray Huppi

Proceedings Volume 4818, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458133

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Medium wave, Staring arrays, Fourier transforms, Long wavelength infrared, Spectroscopy, Mercury cadmium telluride, Infrared sensors, Optical sensors, Infrared imaging

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Proceedings Article | 18 November 1998 Paper

Performance of the PV/PC HgCdTe focal plane/dewar assembly for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument (AIRS)

James Rutter, G. Scott Libonate, Gene Robillard, Nancy Hartle, James Stobie, Brian Denley, Mark Jasmin, John Talbourdet, Marion Reine, Margaret Weiler

Proceedings Volume 3437, (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.331307

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Staring arrays, Photovoltaics, Mercury cadmium telluride, Spectroscopy, Assembly tolerances, Optical filters, Spectral resolution, Readout integrated circuits, Interfaces

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AIRS is a key facility instrument in the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) program, a spaceborne, global observation system being implemented to obtain comprehensive long-term measurements of earth processes affecting global change. Designed to provide new and more accurate data about the atmosphere, land, and oceans for application in climate studies and weather prediction, AIRS performs passive IR remote sensing using a high resolution grating spectrometer with a wide spectral coverage focal plane assembly (FPA) operating at 58 K in a unique vacuum dewar package cooled to 155 K. The hybrid HgCdTe focal plane consists of 12 modules, 10 photovoltaic (PV) utilizing silicon readout integrated circuits (ROICs) in both direct and indirect hybrid configurations, and 2 photoconductive (PC) led out to warm electronics. This complex focal plane has a large optical footprint, 53 mm X 66 mm, and receives energy dispersed from the grating through a precision filter assembly containing 17 narrowband filters. Designed to prevent any interaction between the PV and PC devices, the FPA incorporates extensive shielding and lead routing in the multilayer carriers and flex cables, as well as features in the ROIC design. The 526 lines necessary to operate the FPA are led out of the vacuum dewar, which is cooled via the spectrometer. The focal plane is cooled to 58 K through a sapphire rod interfaced to a pulse tube cooler. The Engineering Model (EM) and Protoflight Model (PFM) detector/dewar assemblies have been fabricated, assembled, tested, and delivered for system integration, and the EM instrument has been assembled and tested. The key design features of the FPA and dewar assembly have been presented in previous SPIE symposiums and will be briefly reviewed. In this paper the emphasis will be on performance results such as sensitivity, linearity, assembly tolerances, environmental test results, and other parameters of interest, as well as a detailed review of the actual flight hardware assembly.

Proceedings Article | 23 October 1997 Paper

Development status of the AIRS IR focal plane assembly

G. Scott Libonate, Brian Denley, Eric Krueger, James Rutter, James Stobie, C. Terzis

Proceedings Volume 3122, (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278995

KEYWORDS: Photovoltaics, Sensors, Detector arrays, Quantum efficiency, Staring arrays, Readout integrated circuits, Semiconducting wafers, Infrared imaging, Atmospheric particles, Spectroscopy

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Proceedings Article | 21 October 1996 Paper

A multispectral hybrid HgCdTe FPA/dewar assembly for remote sensing in the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument

James Rutter, Dave Jungkman, James Stobie, Eric Krueger, James Garnett, Marion Reine, Brian Denley, Mark Jasmin, Anthony Sofia

Proceedings Volume 2817, (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.255195

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Photovoltaics, Mercury cadmium telluride, Readout integrated circuits, Lead, Staring arrays, Spectroscopy, Detector arrays, Infrared sensors, Remote sensing

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Proceedings Article | 26 June 1996 Paper

Focal plane performance for the AIRS instrument

James Stobie, James Garnett, Eric Krueger, Andrew Siegel, James Rutter

Proceedings Volume 2745, (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.243532

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Readout integrated circuits, Mid-IR, Photovoltaics, Capacitance, Infrared radiation, Long wavelength infrared, Medium wave, Quantum efficiency, Mercury cadmium telluride

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Higher resolution and wider IR spectral coverage is needed to improved infrared sounding instruments. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), chosen by NASA to fly on the Earth Observing System, addresses these needs with advanced PV HgCdTe detector arrays designed to cover the spectral range from 3.7 micrometers to 13.6 micrometers with an average resolution of (lambda) /(Delta) (lambda) equals 1200. High performance detectors and advanced readout integrated circuit electronics make it possible to meet mission requirements. For convenience, the AIRS focal plane has been partitioned into four MWIR modules spanning the spectral range from 3.7 micrometers to 8.22 micrometers , and six LWIR modules for wavelengths above 8.8 micrometers . This paper focuses on the AIRS readout device and recent developments in p-on-n heterojunction detector technology at Loral. The detector arrays, operating at 60 K, readily satisfies the requirements of the AIRS instrument. Detector arrays with 4.7 micrometers cutoff wavelength at 60 K and 20 mV reverse bias have RdAs typically greater than 10¹⁰ (Omega) (DOT) cm², with dark signals less than 0.6 fA and detector capacitances less than 0.6 pf for a 50 micrometers by 10 micrometers detector. AR coated MW arrays exhibit quantum efficiencies of greater than 80 percent. Reverse breakdowns are more than -150 mV. Module data for 15.1 micrometers detectors with anti-reflection coating exhibit quantum efficiencies greater than 70 percent and dark currents less than 8 nanoamps at 20 mV reverse bias. Also, excellent module linearity meeting the AIRS stringent requirements is achieved. Of course, measurements of MW detectors require extremely high gain transimpedance amplifiers. The AIRS MWIR readout structures prove to be exceptional in their ability to characterize these high impedance detectors. The charge sensitive input amplifiers on these readout devices utilize an equivalent input integration capacitor of less than 10 fFd to achieve ultrahigh transimpedance gain, and reset noise is suppressed with on focal plane correlated double sampling. LWIR readouts use ultralow noise buffered direct injection preamplifiers. The readouts have a robust architectures with differential input and outputs to minimize EMI and built in redundancy for survivability. Description of the readout device is presented, as well as linearity measurements of both the readout and complete modules.

Proceedings Article | 29 September 1995 Paper

Advanced PV/PC HgCdTe hybrid IRFPA for satellite-based high-resolution multispectral remote sensing

James Rutter, Dave Jungkman, James Stobie, Eric Krueger, M. Krueger, James Garnett, Marion Reine, Brian Denley, Douglas Kleinmann, Mark Gurnee

Proceedings Volume 2553, (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.221370

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Readout integrated circuits, Staring arrays, Photovoltaics, Lead, Mercury cadmium telluride, Interfaces, Spectroscopy, Detector arrays, Infrared radiation

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AIRS is a key facility instrument on the first post meridian platform as part of NASA'a Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder measurement technique is based on passive IR remote sensing using a high spectral resolution grating spectrometer. The structure of the infrared focal plane for the AIRS instrument has been defined and is presented in this paper. The optical footprint of 8.1 mm by 36.3 mm along with the necessary support and interface components leads to a focal plane assembly of 53 mm by 66 mm, the largest ever built at LIRIS. With 4208 diodes and 274 photoconductors in the same focal plane to achieve the wide spectral coverage from 3.7 to 15.4 micrometers , a modular approach is required. Ten PV modules utilize silicon readout integrated circuits (ROICs) joined to the detector arrays as either direct or indirect hybrids while two PC modules cover the 13.7 to 15.4 mm range, optically chopped and led out to uncooled preamplifiers. The simultaneous operation of PV and PC devices in the same focal plane has required unique approaches to shielding, ROIC output design and lead routing. High D^*'s of 7E14 and 3E11 cm- Hz1/2/W are needed to meet the sensitivity requirements of the 4.2 and 15.0 micrometers regions respectively. The 35 micrometers by 800 micrometers PC detectors on a 50 micrometers pitch have necessitated modifications to standard delineation techniques, while the MW performance is nearly D^* BLIP for PV devices. Dispersed energy is presented to the modules through 17 narrow band filters packaged into a single precision assembly mounted within 0.18-0.25 mm of the focal plane surface. The more than 50 components comprising the focal plane in conjunction with the tightly spaced optical pattern presented by the grating add a high degree of complexity to the assembly process. This paper focuses on the architectural constraints derived from performance, interface, and reliability requirements. Key aspects of these requirements are presented and their impact on the partitioning of the 12 modules is discussed. The rationale for the spectral range assigned to each module is reviewed relative to PV and PC performance capabilites. ROIC design guidelines and physical contraints due to manufacturability and assembly. Results of structural and thermal analyses for the various module configurations and assembled focal plane to determine compliance with the stringent stability and positional requirements are presneted. Specific features of the module carrier/interface boards and the multilayered focal plane carrier/interface board are included as well as a review of the overall assembly sequence of the focal plane as influenced by repairability and reliability considerations. The comprehensive redundance strategy applied to the design of the FPA/dewar assembly will be reviewed, and the approach for operation/survival in the radiation environment is discussed. Key features of the ROIC, PV, and PC array designs will be presented along with results of analyses performed.