High-performance 512 x 512 scene projector for targets against space backgrounds

Honeywell and MRC have been developing a range of thermal scene projector arrays through the Wright Laboratory Armament Directorate's cryovacuum resistive infrared scene projector (CRISP) program and the Defense Nuclear Agency's nuclear optical dynamic display system (NODDS) program. The resistive emitters are fabricated on silicon nitride structures on pitches as small as 2 mils. These structures have low thermal mass, low thermal conductance, and high fill factor. Monolithic address and pixel storage electronics provide flicker-free operation of large arrays at high frame rates. The emitters have demonstrated > 600 K blackbody temperatures, high radiance, and > 103 dynamic range at very low power when operated at 40 K temperatures to achieve low background. This paper describes the performance of a CRISP 512 X 512 array consisting of 3.5 mil pixels and a high-speed 128 X 128 NODDS array consisting of ultra-low-power emitters.