Intevac to Provide Digital Night-Vision Cameras for US Warfighters

Posted  by GoPhotonics

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Intevac, a leading provider of thin-film equipment and photonic solutions, has received a $40 million contract for multi-year production of digital night vision cameras in support of the U.S. Government. The award represents the largest single booking to date for Intevac Photonics, and increases the company’s photonics backlog to the historic level of just over $83 million.

The contract closely follows awards for both the U.S. Army’s IVAS ground soldier program, and the Apache Helicopter’s Pilot Night Vision Sensor (PNVS) foreign military sales announced last December, demonstrating Intevac’s commitment to delivering the latest digital night vision technology to US warfighters. Intevac’s digital night-vision sensors, based on its patented Electron Bombarded Active Pixel Sensor (EBAPS) technology, provide state-of-the-art capability to the most advanced avionic fighting platforms in the U.S. Department of Defense inventory.

Intevac’s EBAPS technology is based on an III-V semiconductor photocathode in proximity-focus with a high resolution, backside-thinned, CMOS chip anode. The electrons emitted by the photocathode are directly injected in the electron bombarded mode into the CMOS anode, where the electrons are collected, amplified and read-out to produce digital video directly out of the sensor. The EBAPS sensor achieves state-of-the-art night vision performance in a compact, lightweight, low-power, low-cost package by eliminating the complex components associated with traditional image intensifier assemblies.

How the DI2 Sensor Works

  • Photons are absorbed by photocathode allowing electrons to be emitted.
  • Electrons are accelerated by high voltage
  • Electrons are collected on megapixel CMOS silicon sensor
  • Digital Output

NOTE: This product is under the export control of the Office of Defense Trade Controls, U.S. Department of State, and is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Transshipment to any destination outside of the United States without the knowledge and consent of the Office of Defense Trade Controls is strictly prohibited.
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