Speaker
Description
Future space telescope missions require state-of-the-art, high-resolution detectors that can measure light with a wide range of wavelengths. CMOS image sensors are being considered as detector technologies for such telescopes, with Teledyne e2v’s CIS300 family being a prime candidate. Missions such as ARRAKIHS and CASTOR, which aim to study dark matter and galaxy formation, have chosen the CIS300 as its main detector. Other missions considering the CIS300 include NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, which aims to study earth-like planets.
The CIS300 is a large area CMOS image sensor that can detect light with wavelengths from UV to near-IR, suitable for various astronomical applications. Its large area and three-side-buttable package allow for tessellation, with minimal dead space, into a large focal plane. It can withstand the harsh conditions in space, as it can operate in a wide range of temperatures and has radiation-hard versions. It can operate in rolling shutter or global shutter (with optional digital double sampling) modes, a staircase mode, and a high dynamic range mode. It has multiple gains at the pixel level and at the preamplifier level, which can be set independently. Optimisation of the gains and modes of operations can give readout noise below 2 e− rms, which can be used with long integration times to capture dim objects.
The various settings and modes of operation of the CIS300 require thorough testing, characterisation, and optimisation. A dedicated setup has been developed to perform a suite of standard electro-optical tests including dark current, readout noise, linearity, and quantum efficiency. Testing of the CIS300 is underway, enabling the detector technologies necessary for future space telescope missions.