Proton irradiation results for long-wave HgCdTe infrared detector arrays for NEOCam

TL;DR

This study tested HgCdTe infrared detector arrays for NEOCam under proton irradiation, finding that substrate removal reduces luminescence and that full substrate removal may be beneficial for space applications.

Contribution

It provides empirical proton irradiation data on HgCdTe arrays with different substrate configurations, informing design choices for space-based infrared detectors.

Findings

Substrate removal reduces proton-induced luminescence.

Full substrate array shows significant photocurrent under proton flux.

Luminescence levels are below NEOCam dark current requirements.

Abstract

HgCdTe detector arrays with a cutoff wavelength of ~10 ${\mu}$m intended for the NEOCam space mission were subjected to proton beam irradiation at the University of California Davis Crocker Nuclear Laboratory. Three arrays were tested - one with 800 $\mu$m substrate intact, one with 30 $\mu$m substrate, and one completely substrate-removed. The CdZnTe substrate, on which the HgCdTe detector is grown, has been shown to produce luminescence in shorter wave HgCdTe arrays that causes elevated signal in non-hit pixels when subjected to proton irradiation. This testing was conducted to ascertain whether or not full substrate removal is necessary. At the dark level of the dewar, we detect no luminescence in non-hit pixels during proton testing for both the substrate-removed detector array and the array with 30 ${\mu}$m substrate. The detector array with full 800 ${\mu}$m substrate exhibited substantial photocurrent for a flux of 103 protons/cm$^2$-s at a beam energy of 18.1 MeV (~ 750 e$^-$/s) and 34.4 MeV ($\sim$ 65 e$^-$/s). For the integrated space-like ambient proton flux level measured by the Spitzer Space Telescope, the luminescence would be well below the NEOCam dark current requirement of <200 e$^-$/s, but the pattern of luminescence could be problematic, possibly complicating calibration.