Posted by John Keller
SPRINGFIELD, Va., 14 April 2010. U.S. Army researchers are scheduling industry briefings on 29 and 30 April at the Hilton hotel in Springfield, Va., to discuss details of the Vital Infrared Sensor Technology Acceleration (VISTA) program, which seeks to find innovative approaches for infrared focal plane array (FPA) technology to enhance infrared sensor capabilities.
Sponsoring the program are scientists at the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) of the Army Communications, Electronics, Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) at Fort Belvoir, Va.
VISTA's focus is in III-V epitaxial materials research such as superlattice (SL) and NbN structures for advanced infrared FPAs with large-formats and reduced pixel size that are capable of midwave infrared and longwave infrared (MWIR/LWIR) detection.
An NbN detector consists of two N-type semiconductors that hold a barrier layer between them. The barrier layer lessens dark current and protects the active layer to help materials that lack a good passivation choice.
In addition, the program will investigate novel analog and all digital-in-the-pixel approaches for advanced read-out integrated circuits (ROICs), which are necessary to demonstrate large-format reduced-pixel-size infrared FPAs.
The U.S. Army Contracting Command, CECOM Contracting Center Washington office will issue a broad agency announcement (BAA) for the VISTA program on behalf of the NVESD. The BAA will be for the three-year first phase of the program. The Draft BAA includes more details on innovations being sought and is available on the Interactive Business Opportunities Page at https://abop.monmouth.army.mil under CECOM-BAAs W909MY-10-R-0006.
The industry day will be at the Hilton Springfield hotel at 6550 Loisdale Road in Springfield, Va., on 29 and 30 April 2010, with a general session for all participants followed by one-hour individual-company sessions.
The industry-day briefings are for government and industry to talk about the VISTA program and requirements. Individual sessions will enable industry representatives to discuss their capabilities and give Army researchers information about industry research efforts and technology advances. All information and discussions at the industry day will be unclassified.
Anyone who wants to attend the VISTA industry briefings must register online at www.nvl.army.mil/vista. A registration confirmation will be e-mailed.
Industry may request a one-on-one session by checking the radio button on the electronic registration tool or by contacting CCCE-W by email. Attendance at the industry day is voluntary and is not required to submit a proposal.
More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/notices/a69aab0c822d01fc9acb98aff01efe8b.
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