SBIR / STTR #23.2

Advanced III-V Avalanche Photodiode Structures for Infrared Applications – AFC Solicitation

This opportunity from Army Futures Command (AFC) seeks innovative solutions for advanced III-V Avalanche Photodiode (APD) detector structures in the infrared spectrum. - Government Buyer: - Army Futures Command (AFC) - Products/Services Requested: - Design and modeling of APD detector structures compatible with GaSb or GaAs substrates - Determination of growth processes with experimental parametric variations - Development and execution of experimental plans - Delivery of growth recipes to commercial foundries - Fabrication of test chips or large area devices for cryogenic testing - Measurement of sensor characteristics (dark current, spectral characteristics, quantum efficiency, device gain) - Characterization of minimum detectable pulse energy - Maturation of technologies for dual-use applications - Improvement of detector structures and increase in array formats for imaging - Investigation of options for ROIC integration - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or vendors are named in the solicitation - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Emphasis on compatibility with GaSb or GaAs substrates - Focus on linear gain and short response times in the infrared - Requirement for delivery of growth recipes to commercial foundries - Cryogenic testing and detailed sensor characterization - Dual-use technology maturation and imaging array format expansion - Exploration of ROIC integration options

Description

This solicitation seeks the development of novel algorithms leveraging commercial off-the-shelf high-rate Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) and advanced Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to detect a broad spectrum of priority radio frequency (RF)-enabled threats targeting ground platforms. The project is divided into three phases: Phase I focuses on identifying and validating novel algorithms for wideband threat identification; Phase II involves implementing and demonstrating prototype algorithms extended to additional threat classes; Phase III entails testing algorithms on representative hardware in relevant environments. The effort aims to improve detection speed, accuracy, reduce false detections, and enhance threat characterization across a wide RF spectrum while addressing platform constraints.

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