Philips 7kx9k CCDs

[Michael P. Lesser]

The Steward Observatory CCD Laboratory has been collaborating under contract to
American Digital Imaging, Inc. to package and characterize the 
Philips 7kx9k (12 um pixel) CCDs.  As we just got first light on the 
first device I thought a few notes would be of interest on the world's largest
integrated circuit (yes, it is 140 mm diagonal!!!).  Please note all data 
is very preliminary at this time, but the device looks very good!!!

For current information please check out our Lab's home page on the Web
under the Projects section.  There are some images there which might be
of interest.

We are running the CCD with one of Bob Leach's SDSU controllers.  We made
no modifications to operate this big device.  Currently we are just reading out
one of the four amplifiers (usually binned 4x4).

We designed and manufactured the package here in the Lab (2.2 lbs of Invar!).
It is designed to be flat to less than 10 um over the entire surface.  

We have packaged two devices so far, and have the first one running.  These
are supposedly the worst of the devices we have (as selected by DC testing by
Philips).  Here are some first pass results....

- we have imaged the device as low as -150C.  

- read noise at 33 kHz with no optimization of voltages is under 10 electrons.
This is as low as we ever see at this speed in our test system.  We
used a 12 us parallel clock overlap (4 phase parallel, 3 phase serial).

- full well (to the beginning of non-linearity) is at least 60,000 electrons.
There is charge handling capacity many time this and we may do much better 
after optimization.

- CTE looks very good in both directions.

- A few traps due to interpoly shorts can be seen as short line breaks.  This 
is typical of a device with interpoly shorts.

Overall, we are VERY encouraged and impressed with this device, particularly
since it was the first one packaged and that it really did not pass initial
DC tests.  We will have more information on the Web as characterization
proceeds.

It is clear the folks at Philips have done an impressive job!!!!

Michael Lesser
Steward Observatory
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ  85721
mlesser at as.arizona.edu
(520) 621-4236
(520) 626-4330 FAX

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A World Wide Web hyperlinked document can be used to navigate through 
the Steward Observatory CCD Laboratory information.

The URL is http://bilbo.as.arizona.edu/ccdlab.html.