NIRCA-ASTRO ASIC for Infrared Detector Readout

NIRCA-ASTRO is the Near Infrared Controller ASIC for Astronomy

IDEAS has signed a contract with ESA for the development of NIRCA-ASTRO, i.e., the Near Infrared Readout Controller ASIC for Astronomy, an ESA science activity with IDEAS as prime contractor.

The objective of the NIRCA-ASTRO project is to develop a next-generation controller ASIC for advanced near-infrared avalanche photodiode (APD) detector arrays. The technology is intended to support future space missions that will extend observations into the near-infrared spectrum, enabling scientists to study dust-obscured regions of our galaxy and build on the scientific legacy of ESA’s Gaia mission.

For IDEAS, this project is very important: It reinforces our position as a leading European developer of advanced mixed-signal and detector readout ASICs for space and infrared applications. Compared to IDEAS NIRCA MkII we aim at lower power, relatively high-frame rate readout, and fully European supply-chain for wafer processing and packaging. The project builds on our design heritage of readout integrated circuits (ROIC) and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) in ultra-deep sub-micron UDSM CMOS (40nm, 28nm, and 22nm nodes).