Spectrum Detector, Inc. And Strategic Partner, SRICO, Inc., Win Phase I SBIR Air Force Contract

The two companies will work together to develop ultra-sensitive pyroelectric detectors for THz applications

Lake Oswego, OR — Gentec-EO USA, Inc., a leading manufacturer of pyroelectric detectors, electronics and instruments for measuring optical power and energy, recently announced its strategic partner, SRICO, Inc., a premier manufacturer of high performance optical integrated circuit components and optoelectronic subsystems, was awarded a Phase I SBIR contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory. This $100,000 contract enables Spectrum Detector and SRICO to work together to develop next-generation, ultra-sensitive pyroelectric detectors targeted at THz applications.

"We are developing a revolutionary process that will enable large-scale production of 1µm to 5µm, single-crystal, thin-film pyroelectric detectors," said Sri Sriram, president of SRICO. "We anticipate an order of magnitude increase in detector performance over the current technology," In addition, these devices will operate at room temperature, a major improvement over conventional high-sensitivity sensor solutions, like microbolometers, that typically require bulky, costly cryogenic cooling systems. "Room-temperature operation is critical," Sriram continued. "Not only does it provide greater design flexibility, it helps open the door to a full range of portable THz applications, from medical instrumentation to bomb-detection devices."

Spectrum Detector will focus its efforts on manufacturability. "What we bring to the table is the know-how to make these devices cost effective and easy to produce – while maintaining the utmost in quality and performance," said Don Dooley, president of Spectrum Detector. "In today's market, the most advanced thin-film detectors one can specify are typically 25µm thick– and these have to be hand crafted, one by one. In contrast, we anticipate our new manufacturing processes will allow semi-automated fabrication of up to 100 devices per substrate – even when fabricating devices as thin as 1µm to 5µm."

About Spectrum Detector
Spectrum Detector, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of standard and custom detectors, electronics and instruments for measuring optical power and energy. The company offers a wide range of advanced solutions including LiTaO3 pyroelectric detectors, broadband pyroelectric radiometers, silicon and germanium radiometers, pyroelectric and silicon joulemeters, optical and thermal TRAP detectors and THz detectors and instruments. The company also excels at customer service, providing custom engineered detectors and instruments, turnkey optical test sets, NIST traceable calibration in watts and joules and responsive technical support. For more information, contact Spectrum Detector, Inc., 5825 Jean Road Center, Lake Oswego, OR 97035, dond@spectrumdetector.com, (503) 697-1870.

About SRICO
SRICO specializes in the design, development, manufacture, and worldwide marketing of high performance optical integrated circuit components and optoelectronic subsystems that dramatically improve optical signal transmission and electrical measurement in communication and sensor networks. Among the company's current product portfolio are photonic sensors that detect and measure electric field, current, and voltage; electro-optic modulators; optical wavelength switches; optical frequency converters; and analog fiber optic links. For more information, contact SRICO, Inc., 2724 Sawbury Blvd., Columbus, OH 43235-4579, sri@srico.com, (614) 799 0664.

SOURCE: Gentec-EO USA, Inc.