Infrared detectors: outlook and means

Abstract

New materials and technologies for large scale IR arrays, readouts for them and several principal trends of IR large scale array detectors development as well as their applications in different weather conditions are briefly discussed. Uncooled arrays should be much more widespread both for civilian and military applications. Another trend is previewed in enhanced capability readouts. For military and space applications, e.g., for satellites observation, surveillance and reconnaissance in near future high performance mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) based detectors hardly can be replaced for two main atmospheric transparency regions, 3 to 5 and 8 to 14 microns. Because of similarity of technological operations MCT large scale arrays for 1 to 3 microns applications can become even more preferable compared to III-V detectors.