A new 2-D model for operating point shift in large LWIR HgCdTe FPA's

Infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) are rapidly increasing in size. It is shown here that for large FPAs a considerable shift in the operating point occurs, which, if not reduced, introduces unacceptably large nonuniformity in the array response. This shift results because of the variable voltage drop across the HgCdTe active layer, due to its finite distributed resistance. A new analytical two-dimensional (2-D) model to estimate the operating point shift of individual detectors of long wavelength infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe focal plane array (FPA) is presented. Avoiding this operating point shift requires an optimized grid pattern.