Operating temperature: a challenge for cooled IR technologies

Cooled IR technologies are challenged for answering new system needs like the reduction of energy. This reduction is requested in new IR system design in particular for cooled IR detection. The goal is to reduce system sizes, to increase system autonomies and reliabilities and globally to reduce system costs! One of the key drivers for cooled systems is the cooler and the operating temperature. As far as operating temperature is concerned, Sofradir put a lot of efforts for years for adapting its technologies to increase the operating temperatures of IR detectors. Main examples are dealing with long wave staring arrays based on QWIP technology and on MCT technology as well as medium wave staring arrays using MCT technologies.