Ground Astronomy
By combining Teledyne e2v, Teledyne Imaging Sensors, and Teledyne DALSA, Teledyne Imaging can demonstrate a proud history as the leading supplier of sensors for Space Science, Ground-based Astronomy, and Earth Observation applications with an impressive record of successful deliveries to a wide range of customers over 40 years. Most of Teledyne Imaging ground-based astronomy sensors are capable of qualification for space use.
Teledyne Imaging devices can be supplied partially or fully customized to fit the application and achieve the best possible system performance. Sensor design, manufacture, assembly and test are carried out in-house. Sensors are back-illuminated for highest sensitivity, designed with very low noise, and available in multiple formats and package types. Teledyne Imaging has capabilities and vast experience in designing and delivering integrated camera systems, mosaics, and focal planes.
Teledyne Imaging manufactures sensors for mosaic imaging cameras, spectroscopy, auto-guiding, acquisition, and adaptive optics. Our Charge Coupled Detectors (CCDs) have extensive heritage and a wide variety of formats and customized features. Our CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) offer similar performance to CCDs but can offer higher frame rates and integrated digital functions, including digital data output. Our cooled MgCdTe focal plane arrays with CMOS readout ICs reveal the sky's secrets in the infrared.
Teledyne Imaging offers a very wide range of astronomy sensors. The table below highlights popular astronomy sensors.
For more information on our ground astronomy products, missions, and heritage, contact us.
Key benefits of visible detectors
- High quantum efficiency
- Large format devices
- Large pixel sizes
- Integrated focal plane and camera capability
- Custom detector designs
- High Quantum Efficiency (QE)
- Very low noise
Teledyne Imaging is a world leader in the design and production of large format IR sensors, producing the largest IR detectors in the world. Key benefits include large format, high-speed, very-low noise, high-dynamic range, background subtraction, special windowing, and on-FPA signal processing
Teledyne’s IR FPAs for ground astronomy very large telescopes are produced using Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Cadmium Mercury Telluride (MCT), or HgCdTe, tuneable wavelength, bandgap engineered substrate.
Key benefits of IR solution
- Bandgap engineered
- Tuneable wavelength
- Substrate removed, deep depleted and fully depleted (low dark current) MCT
- Simultaneous UV, visible, IR light detection
- Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) design
- In house HgCdTe growth (4 MBE machines)
Teledyne Imaging manufactures sensors for mosaic imaging cameras, spectroscopy, auto-guiding, acquisition and adaptive optics. The groups CCDs and IR FPAs have extensive heritage and a wide variety of formats and customized features.
CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) offer similar performance to CCDs but can offer higher frame rates and integrated digital functions, including digital data output.
Our Heritage
Teledyne Imaging has an impressive record of successful projects over 40 years.
- Javalambre Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) – 1.2gigapixel camera
- European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large telescope (VLT) MICADO, HARMONI, METIS and MUSE instruments - 4k x 4k visible and IR detectors, 2k x 2k IR detectors
- University of Hawaii 2.2-meter (88-inch) telescope on Mauna Kea – 4k x 4k IR detectors
Ground Astronomy Products
CCD250-82
Resolution: 4096 × 4004 Pixel size: 10 µm Back illumination and an extremely low noise amplifier
CCD220
Resolution: 240 × 240 Pixel size: 24 µm Designed for very high frame rate and low signal applications
CCD42-90
Resolution: 2048 × 4612 Pixel size: 13.5 µm Well suited to the most demanding astronomical and scientific imaging applications.
CCD44-82
Resolution: 2048 × 2048 Pixel size: 15 µm Well suited to the most demanding applications, such as astronomy
CCD231-C6
Resolution: 6144 × 6160 Pixel size: 15 µm Four separately connected image area sections to allow full-frame, frame transfer, split full-frame or split frame-transfer modes
CCD290-99
Resolution: 9216 × 9232 Pixel size: 10 µm Large image area for demanding astronomical and scientific imaging applications
CCD231-84
Resolution: 4096 × 4112 Pixel size: 15 µm SiC-Flexi or ceramic-PGA