AFRL Program Helps Reduce Cost of Focal Plane Arrays

  • Published
  • By Materials & Manufacturing Directorate
  • AFRL/ML
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  AFRL researchers completed their involvement in the F-35 Infrared Focal Plane Array (FPA) program, contributing expertise that led to a decrease in cluster defects and the insertion of larger-scale indium (In) antimonide (Sb) wafers into the arrays. The FPA is a significant component of infrared sensor systems and accounts for 75% of the total cost of the F-35 infrared detector assembly (IDA). By implementing manufacturing technology (ManTech) improvements, the researchers reduced the cost of the aircraft's IDA and achieved the desired savings. The success of this ManTech initiative represents a key cost savings for the Air Force and Department of Defense. The two companies awarded contracts under the FPA program, Flir Indigo Operations (Goleta, California) and L3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics (Mason, Ohio), have identified the previous failures in producing InSb wafers for the FPA and are taking the necessary steps to correct the problem. 

Wafers are small, thin, circular slices of a semiconducting material cut into square die. An FPA comprises a single die combined with an optical silicon wafer, a silicon readout integrated circuit, and a ceramic substrate--a unique, and patented, design. The Joint Strike Fighter Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EODAS) is a sensor suite that provides the F-35 aircraft with a spherical view for threat warning and navigation. The IDA inside EODAS contains the FPA, which provides the image data when appropriately mounted and connected into a higher-level camera assembly. 

EODAS is composed of six IDAs, each with 90° field-of-view optics pointed in the different cardinal directions. A seventh unit resides in the Electro-Optic Targeting System (EOTS), a high-resolution gimbaled targeting system positioned under the nose of the aircraft. Researchers have identified several key roles for EODAS and EOTS, including missile threat warning, infrared search and track, target detection and recognition/identification, battle damage assessment, and piloting and navigation, in all weather situations, both day and night. 

The AFRL ManTech program achieved its goals of inserting the necessary technology to enable processing of 4-inch InSb wafers. This technology insertion will assist the F-35 program in meeting IDA-related goals and will result in a direct cost avoidance of approximately $400 million.