{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":93442,"title":"Design and Development of High Gain AlGaN Avalanche Photodiode Arrays","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10752,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10751,"level":3,"code":"TX08.3.1","title":"Field and Particle Detectors","definition":"Field detectors include millimeter wave through X-ray sensors, magnetic and electric field sensors, gravity-wave sensors, magnetometers, and imaging radiometers and spectrometers. Particle detectors include neutral particle sensors, ionic particle sensors, and plasma detectors. Supporting electronic technologies for power, mitigating environmental effects such as temperature drift or background radiation contamination, and calibration are included.","exampleTechnologies":"Fast Plasma Instrument (FPI), Dual Ion Sensors (DIS) Dual Electron Sensors (DES), Analog Fluxgate Magnetometer (AFG)","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":3,"currentTrl":6,"endTrl":6,"benefits":"Future NASA missions will require UV APD detector arrays that also have very high gain. AlGaN based UVAPD's offers wide choices for fine-tuning the bands of interest in UV band. This will allow precise detection of UV signatures. With AlGaN UVAPD, the wavelength can be tuned to the band of interest in UV band. The objective of the Proposed NASA Phase I SBIR is to model, design and develop the necessary technology for high performance GaN/AlGaN small pixel size UVAPD's that can be implemented in future NASA System Applications. As part of the Phase I SBIR effort, Magnolia will work with the NASA Program Manager to define the system applications of interest and use the technology development effort to support the NASA mission. Magnolia has an excellent team to carry out the proposed Phase I technical effort. Dr. Ashok Sood will be the Principal Investigator at Magnolia for the technical effort. The team includes Professor Russell Dupuis of Georgia Tech, a world renowned expert in development of GaN/AlGaN materials for APD's and related devices.
UV Detectors and Sensors are useful in a wide variety of industrial, military, and scientific applications where detection of UV radiation plays a key role. Most of these applications for detection and/or measurement require high performance UV Sensors Systems.. Ultraviolet high gain APD arrays capture unique target signatures, which provide critical information for several applications that include machine vision, solar blind imaging, and chemical and biological applications for detection of surface residues and biological agents. The market for AlGaN based UVAPD Sensors is expected to grow rapidly over the next 10 years","description":"Future NASA missions that include Explorers, Discovery, Cosmic Origins, Vision Missions and Earth Sciences, and Planetary Science Missions will benefit from development of High Gain AlGaN UV APD Arrays. High resolution imaging in Ultraviolet (UV) band has a lot of potential applications for various NASA systems. UV band offers exciting opportunities for NASA systems as one can use short wavelength and various solar blind regions for high spatial resolution. As part of the proposed NASA Phase I SBIR program, Magnolia working with Professor Russell Dupuis of Georgia Tech will model, design and develop high performance with high gain GaN/AlGaN UVAPD's that can be implemented in future NASA missions.","startYear":2017,"startMonth":6,"endYear":2017,"endMonth":12,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":3251195,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Ashok","lastName":"Sood","fullName":"Ashok Sood","fullNameInverted":"Sood, Ashok","primaryEmail":"aksood@magnoliaoptical.com","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":35002,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Ashok","lastName":"Sood","fullName":"Ashok K Sood","fullNameInverted":"Sood, Ashok K","middleInitial":"K","primaryEmail":"Aksood@Magnoliaoptical.Com","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":206378,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jason","lastName":"Kessler","fullName":"Jason L Kessler","fullNameInverted":"Kessler, Jason L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jason.l.kessler@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":215154,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jennifer","lastName":"Gustetic","fullName":"Jennifer L Gustetic","fullNameInverted":"Gustetic, Jennifer L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jennifer.l.gustetic@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":62051,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Carlos","lastName":"Torrez","fullName":"Carlos Torrez","fullNameInverted":"Torrez, Carlos","primaryEmail":"carlos.torrez@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":3164484,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"John","lastName":"Hair","fullName":"John Hair","fullNameInverted":"Hair, John","primaryEmail":"johnathan.w.hair@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":461333,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Theresa","lastName":"Stanley","fullName":"Theresa M Stanley","fullNameInverted":"Stanley, Theresa M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"theresa.m.stanley@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[{"file":{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":297739,"fileName":"SBIR_2017_1_BC_S1.05-8877","fileSize":51228,"objectId":294272,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"50.0 KB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":297739,"fileName":"SBIR_2017_1_BC_S1.05-8877","fileSize":51228,"objectId":294272,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"50.0 KB"}],"id":294272,"title":"Briefing Chart","description":"Design and Development of High Gain AlGaN Avalanche Photodiode Arrays, Phase I Briefing Chart","libraryItemTypeId":1222,"projectId":93442,"primary":false,"publishedDateString":"","contentType":{"lkuCodeId":1222,"code":"DOCUMENT","description":"Document","lkuCodeTypeId":341,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"LIBRARY_ITEM_TYPE","description":"Library Item Type"}}},{"caption":"Design and Development of High Gain AlGaN Avalanche Photodiode Arrays, Phase I Briefing Chart Image","file":{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":304560,"fileName":"SBIR_2017_1_BC_S1.05-8877","fileSize":35996,"objectId":301112,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"35.2 KB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":304560,"fileName":"SBIR_2017_1_BC_S1.05-8877","fileSize":35996,"objectId":301112,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"35.2 KB"}],"id":301112,"title":"Briefing Chart Image","description":"Design and Development of High Gain AlGaN Avalanche Photodiode Arrays, Phase I Briefing Chart Image","libraryItemTypeId":1095,"projectId":93442,"primary":true,"publishedDateString":"","contentType":{"lkuCodeId":1095,"code":"IMAGE","description":"Image","lkuCodeTypeId":341,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"LIBRARY_ITEM_TYPE","description":"Library Item Type"}}}],"transitions":[{"transitionId":69471,"projectId":93442,"partner":"Other","transitionDate":"2017-12-01","path":"Advanced To","details":"SBIR/STTR Phase III, contract 80NSSC18C0024, title 'Graphene Enhanced Charged Coupled Heterostructures for MWIR IR Photodetectors & Focal Plane Arrays', value $1199993, active 05/25/2018 - 05/24/2021","infoText":"Advanced within the program","infoTextExtra":"Another project within the program","dateText":"December 2017"},{"transitionId":69470,"projectId":93442,"partner":"Other","transitionDate":"2018-04-01","path":"Advanced To","relatedProjectId":101853,"relatedProject":{"acronym":"","projectId":101853,"title":"Design and Development of High Gain AlGaN Avalanche Photodiode Arrays","startTrl":4,"currentTrl":6,"endTrl":6,"benefits":"Future NASA missions will require high gain UVAPD large area detector arrays.The NASA earth science application for the AlGaN UV-APD arrays. operating at the 355 nm UV band is of interest for high resolution Lidar systems. To resolve extremely weak/distant signals in such applications, detector arrays with large areas and very high gains are required. The objective of the Proposed NASA Phase II SBIR is to model, design, and develop the necessary technology for high performance GaN/AlGaN UV-APDs that can be implemented in future NASA missions. The technology developed under the proposed Phase II SBIR Program can also be applied to other NASA measurement instruments. The implementation of the technology can benefit situations requiring replacement aging and/or proprietary technologies with compact, less costly solid-state solutions. As part of the Phase II SBIR effort, we will work with NASA Program Manager towards application of the UV-APDs for other NASA programs and missions. The AlGaN-based UV-APDs allow band gap engineering for fine-tuning of the operating wavelength to UV band of interest. The solid-state UV-APDs devices are also radiation hardened and offer high chemical and thermal stability, making them well-suited for harsh operating conditions and environments such as in space-based applications. Such applications could include ozone/pollutant monitoring, and measurement of UV signatures
UV Detectors and Sensors are useful in a wide variety of industrial, military, and scientific applications where detection of UV radiation plays a key role. Most of these applications for UV detection and/or measurement require high performance UV-APD detector arrays and sensor systems. Ultraviolet APD arrays with high gain can capture unique target signatures, which provide critical information for applications that include machine vision, threat warning, and chemical and biological applications for detection of surface residues and biological agents. Within the Defense applications of interest are UV sensing devices to identify chemical/biological threats to war-fighters, early missile threat warning systems, and jet flame/engine monitoring. This market is segmented into four broad sectors: industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, and medical. A number of these commercial applications can directly benefit from the performance capabilities and features of the AlGaN UV-APD detector technology. Such applications include UV sensors in automobiles for improved safety, stability, and performance; detection of arcing and corona discharge in power-lines and industrial monitoring of UV radiation. In addition, the commercial UV sensor market is projected to grow substantially over the next 10 years.","description":"Future NASA earth science systems and missions, specifically those involving high resolution Lidar measurements, will benefit from the development of large-area, high gain AlGaN ultraviolet avalanche photodiodes (UV-APD) arrays operating at room temperature at the 355 nm wavelength. The high quality GaN/AlGaN UV-APD detector arrays are epitaxially grown using an optimized metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique. The use of lattice-matched bulk GaN substrates provides low dark/leakage current by minimizing defects from the substrate, while alternately AlN substrates can be used to provide backside-illuminated, high fill factor UV-APD devices. In addition to low dark current noise, the solid-state UV-APD devices demonstrate high quantum efficiencies with very high avalanche gains (>10^5). For the Phase II SBIR effort, we shall model, design, develop, and demonstrate the AlGaN UV-APD array technology for implementation in future NASA missions. We will work with NASA for modelling UV-APD arrays for performance improvements in NASA Earth Science systems. Magnolia will collaborate with Prof. Russ Dupuis of Georgia Tech, an expert in III-N material growth and device technology, for MOCVD growth, fabrication, and characterization of the UV-APD array devices. This will entail the enhancement of surface passivation techniques for further performance improvements, developing high quality, low resistivity n- and p-type contacts, as well as incorporating antireflection coatings. It is expected based on measurement data that these devices can perform in Geiger-mode at ~355 nm with high single-photon detection efficiencies for operation in photon-starved environments. Based in part on results attained from the Phase I effort, the AlGaN-based UV-APD technology can meet and/or exceed system requirements in applications such as high resolution Lidar to benefit NASA systems for advancing future missions","startYear":2018,"startMonth":4,"endYear":2020,"endMonth":10,"statusDescription":"Completed","website":"","program":{"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","active":true,"description":"
The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer"},"lastUpdated":"2024-1-10","releaseStatusString":"Released","viewCount":131,"endDateString":"Oct 2020","startDateString":"Apr 2018"},"infoText":"Advanced within the program","infoTextExtra":"Another project within the program (Design and Development of High Gain AlGaN Avalanche Photodiode Arrays)","dateText":"April 2018"}],"primaryImage":{"file":{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":304560,"fileSizeString":"0 Byte"},"id":301112,"description":"Design and Development of High Gain AlGaN Avalanche Photodiode Arrays, Phase I Briefing Chart Image","projectId":93442,"publishedDateString":""},"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","active":true,"description":"The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
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