In situ cryogenic electro-optical and radiation hardness characterization of a T2SL MWIR sensor for space imaging

A Medium Wave Infrared (MWIR) image sensor developed by Teledyne e2v UK is studied for potential use in the International Mars Ice Mapper mission (I-MIM). Featuring a 640×512 array with a 15μm pixel pitch and a cutoff wavelength of 5μm, the sensor employs Ga-free InAsSb/InAs Type 2 Super Lattice (T2SL) and bariode (XBn) technologies. The study focuses on characterizing the sensor's quantum efficiency (QE), dark current (DC), and radiation hardness under cryogenic conditions down to 130K. A system allowing in situ measurements pre- and post-irradiation was developed. The first QE measurements were conducted before and after irradiation with a 10MeV proton (p⁺) equivalent end-of-life fluence of 5×10⁹ p⁺cm⁻² and a double end-of-life fluence of 1×10¹⁰ p⁺cm⁻² into the absorber layer, while the device was kept cryogenically cooled.