EPIR, INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A19-120

Description

Current indium bump bond technology is used on both the ROIC and detector array assemblies with almost 100 percent yield. However, there’s a need to establish an FPA hybridization concept that will overcome the limitations of current In bump processes and at the same time allows for high yield, reliable, and affordable interconnects for smaller pitch IRFPAs. Pushing IRFPA technology to smaller pixel pitch is a huge challenge since the ROIC and detector arrays are may have vastly different coefficients of thermal expansion and additionally, may have issues such as wafer bow, variations in total thickness. Innovative hybridization approaches to achieve smaller pixel pitches using a silicon ROIC mated to a variety of detector materials (HgCdTe, GaAs, GaSb, and InSb) are being sought. EPIR Inc. proposes to develop a novel hybridization method with statistical single bump failure rate within the specifications, is reliable, adheres to thermal compliancy of the assemblies. Phase I program will investigate the applicability of modified direct bond interconnect to IRFPAs through FEM models and AI guided optimum material and geometry choices to minimize the thermal stresses in the hybridized assemblies and their prototypical demonstration. Phase I efforts will be extended to hybridized assemblies on full scale