PtSi Schottky-barrier focal plane arrays for multispectral imaging in ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectral bands

PtSi Schottky-barrier detectors, which are conventionally used in the back-illumination mode for thermal imaging in the 3-5- mu m infrared (IR) spectral band, are shown to exhibit excellent photoresponse in the near-ultraviolet and visible regions when operated in the front-illumination mode. For devices without antireflection coatings, external quantum efficiency in excess of 60% has been obtained for wavelengths between 400 and 800 nm. The efficiency decreases below 400 nm but is still about 35% at 290 nm. High-quality imaging has been demonstrated in both the visible and 3-5- mu m spectral bands for front-illuminated 160*244-element PtSi focal plane arrays integrated with monolithic CCD readout circuitry.>