SBIR Phase I: Ultra-Sensitive Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Technology: A Photon Counting Camera

SBIR 第一阶段：超灵敏电荷耦合器件 (CCD) 技术：光子计数相机

• 批准号: 0213982
• 负责人: Mark Meisner
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Titan Optics & Engineering
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-07-01 至 2002-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0213982&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Ultra; Sensitive; Charge

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result in an innovative, technologically advanced, imaging system-with the potential of counting of individual photons. The imaging system will be a compact avalanche-gain, charge-coupled device, and digital camera. The innovation will offer high photo-response from the deep ultraviolet to the near infrared in very Low Light Level, as well as photonic light conditions. In addition, the Photon Counting Camera will present solid-state reliability without typical intensifier imaging tube limitations, such as, image burn-in and blooming. A possible research, military, law enforcement, or "home land security" application for the Photon Counting Camera will be "black-on-black" detection that is when faint objects are difficult to discriminate from the background. This far-reaching technology will also be beneficial for many non-military applications, such as astronomy, bio- and chemical-luminescence, microscopy, and beam imaging. Furthermore, the innovation will offer significant cost savings and enhance multi-spectral imaging performance, compared to conventional intensifier imaging systems. In short, the Photon Counting Camera will have the most impact where MHz readout speeds (real-time or TV speeds) and lowest possible noise are required.

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将产生一个创新的，技术先进的成像系统，具有单个光子计数的潜力。成像系统将是一个紧凑的雪崩增益，电荷耦合器件和数码相机。该创新将在极低光级以及光子光条件下提供从深紫外到近红外的高光响应。此外，光子计数相机将呈现固态可靠性，而没有典型的增强成像管的限制，如图像老化和模糊。光子计数相机可能的研究、军事、执法或“家庭土地安全”应用将是“黑对黑”检测，即难以从背景中区分微弱物体。这项意义深远的技术也将有利于许多非军事应用，如天文学，生物和化学发光，显微镜和光束成像。此外，与传统的增强成像系统相比，该创新将显著节省成本并增强多光谱成像性能。简而言之，光子计数相机将在需要MHz读出速度（实时或TV速度）和尽可能低的噪声的情况下产生最大的影响。