The sensor's high resolution and exceptional electrical properties provide an unprecedented ability to detect very faint galaxies created at the beginning of the universe. The device has the sensitivity to record images below one-billionth the level of typical room light.

The sensor was developed for deep-space astronomy, including next-generation telescopes, as part of a two-year program funded by a consortium of observatories led by the University of Hawaii.

This breakthrough in infrared image sensors has nearly 4.2 million picture elements, or pixels, and over 13 million transistors. The latter number exceeds the number of transistors found on most of today's state-of-the-art computer chips.

"This is a breakthrough development that will enable astronomers to explore the farthest reaches of space," said Derek Cheung, Rockwell's vice president for Research and director of the Science Center.

Rockwell's imager is unique in having a very high percentage of working picture elements compared to other high performance infrared sensors used for astronomy.

A total of 99.98% of the pixels are operational in the 2048x2048 device. Each pixel is made from Mercury Cadmium Telluride, a compound used for infrared sensing. Light with wavelengths between 0.9 microns and 2.5 microns can be detected with the sensor.

A key element of the array is its complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics that can precisely read the infrared light from each detector element and convert it to a usable signal.

This device, which measures 4 cm x 4 cm, is the largest known CMOS chip in the world. It was fabricated using an advanced, high-performance, low noise mixed signal CMOS process developed by partner Conexant Systems, Inc. in their semiconductor wafer fabrication facility.

The first of the new sensors is currently on its way to the University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy. Subsequent devices will be delivered to the European Southern Observatory and the Subaru Telescope, the two additional founding members of the consortium, for use in their giant telescopes on Cero Paranal, Chile and Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Many other organizations worldwide are already queuing up to obtain the sensor. An even larger 4096x4096 infrared sensor is being planned for development in the future by the Rockwell Science Center.

RSC is also developing infrared sensors for use in a new infrared camera for the Hubble Space Telescope and the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST).

"Once NGST is sent into orbit with an array of these sensors constituting about one hundred million pixels," said Cheung, "we will be able to see galaxies formed at the beginning of the universe with clarity."

NGST page at ECF

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