Ge on Si Feasibility

The focus of study is to build near-IR capability onto Si CCDs for Time-Delay-Integration (TDI) applications, with the main requirement being charge domain summation, which allows the lowest noise performance on these types of devices. Currently there is no product that exists to do this. Si CCDs are a well-established technology which, whilst being an “old” technology, are still world leading in certain applications up to a wavelength of ~1μm. Si CCDs supplied by Teledyne e2v were a key component on the ESA Gaia mission and there is desire for similar detectors that are sensitive in the NIR for a potential future NIRGaia mission.