Design of The Kinetic Inductance Detector Based Focal Plane Assembly for The Terahertz Intensity Mapper

TL;DR

This paper presents the design and initial testing of a KID array focal plane assembly for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper, focusing on thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic optimization, with promising initial yield results.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel KID array assembly design that meets strict thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic requirements for the TIM instrument.

Findings

>95% initial yield in prototype testing

Successful maintenance of 50 μm air gap

Prototype performance indicates good fabrication quality

Abstract

We report on the kinetic inductance detector (KID) array focal plane assembly design for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM). Each of the 2 arrays consists of 4 wafer-sized dies (quadrants), and the overall assembly must satisfy thermal and mechanical requirements, while maintaining high optical efficiency and a suitable electromagnetic environment for the KIDs. In particular, our design manages to strictly maintain a 50 $\mathrm{\mu m}$ air gap between the array and the horn block. We have prototyped and are now testing a sub-scale assembly which houses a single quadrant for characterization before integration into the full array. The initial test result shows a $>$95% yield, indicating a good performance of our TIM detector packaging design.