Rockwell International Corporation

Donald E Cooper

Winfred L Morris

Rolin K Asatourian

Michael Royston James

A hybrid focal plane array (FPA) structure including a Balanced Composite Structure (BCS) in which several layers of materials having differing thermal expansion coefficients stabilize the FPA during cryogenic cooling. An optical substrate with a layer of an optically sensitive material detects impinging radiation. The optically sensitive material is coupled to a multiplexer (MUX) substrate via interconnection bumps. The MUX is bonded to a layer of a material having a high TEC. A rigid core layer is sandwiched between the MUX and a balancing layer formed of a material having similar mechanical and geometrical characteristics to the MUX substrate. The three-layer BCS consisting of the MUX, the rigid core layer and the balancing layer is designed to have an effective TEC matching that of the optical substrate. The bumps and the optically sensitive material are thus protected from undesirable stresses generated during thermal excursions, thereby resulting in substantially improved FPA reliability.

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Newbury Park, CA, United States of America

Donald E Cooper