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HEROIC – High Efficiency Read Out Circuits

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Description
Many defence applications rely on Infrared (IR) optronics systems to detect, recognise, and identify objects or targets during night and day. These systems are composed of IR sensors able to detect electromagnetic radiation within a wavelength spectrum different from the visible one. At the heart of the IR sensor lies the Focal Plane Array, broken down into two functional layers, the detection layer and the Read-Out Integrated Circuit. The key features of a ROIC are to provide the electrical interface between each individual detector pixel and its associated readout circuit and to convert the signals provided by the pixel readout circuit into a digital equivalent that can be provided to the sensor output and acquired by the external driving electronics. Currently the mainstream sizes of IR sensors for defence applications are between VGA format and SXGA format and pixel pitch distance between 20 μm and 10 μm. The next generations of IR systems will require longer detection, recognition and identification ranges, large field of views, faster frame rates and higher performance.

Goal
The HEROIC ambition is to enable European IR sensor suppliers to sustainably design the next generation of EU ROICs for IR sensors for defence applications. HEROIC unites, from across EU, different complementary players in the supply chain, including key system manufacturers and IR technology providers. HEROIC represents a first phase in the securing of the availability of a common advanced fully EU ROIC supply chain compatible with various IR detector technologies and 2D/3D architectures by 2030.

Lead Partner
LYNRED

Partners involved
AIM INFRAROT-MODULE GMBH, XENICS NV, COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, INTEGRATED DETECTOR ELECTRONICS AS, UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA, INDRA SISTEMAS SA, KONGSBERG DEFENCE & AEROSPACE AS, PCO SA, MILTECH HELLAS BIOMICHANIA EMPORIOANTIPROSOPEIES ILEKTRONIKON OPTIKON KAI MICHANOLOGIKON EIDON AE

Duration
01 January 2023 – 31 December 2026

Funding
€ 17,999,998.00

More information
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/projects-details/44181033/101102939/EDF
https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-07/Factsheet_EDF21_HEROIC.pdf

The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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