Measurement of 'one over f noise' in infrared detection using a novel technique
It has been shown that, one over f noise' (1/f noise) limits the sensitivity in Mercury Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe) infrared devices. It is therefore imperative to be able to measure and account for its contribution to the total device noise. In this thesis, the 1/f noise of a HgCdTe device is measured and studied using two measurement techniques. The first technique is the commonly used conventional method of measuring 1/f noise that analyzes 1/f noise in the frequency domain and extracts the 1/f noise contribution from the power spectral densities. The second approach is a novel technique that extracts the 1/f noise contribution from the total measured noise data that is collected as a function of integration time at a very low photon irradiance. By analyzing the 1/f noise of this device using the conventional method, the results using this novel technique can be compared and its accuracy validated. The advantages of the novel technique over the conventional method result in a simpler method of measuring and analyzing 1/f noise in these devices. First the data can be collected in a fairly short amount of time, as compared to the conventional method where data must be collected for very long periods of time. As a result of collecting data for such long periods of time, the environment must be extremely controlled such that drifts in temperature or the patience of the person taking the measurements do not limit the accuracy of the results. In addition the data analysis is also simplified using the novel technique. This novel technique of measuring 1/f noise has been developed at the Infrared Radiation Effects Laboratory (IRREL), Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base and is studied and validated here in this thesis.'
Infrared detectors., Electrical and Computer Engineering
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