RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, Oct. 11 -- MCNC Research & Development Institute will develop advanced interconnect technology for infrared detector systems to be used in in high performance military and space surveillance applications.

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the nonprofit research group a research contract for the Vertically Interconnected Sensor Arrays (VISA) program. This contract is a collaborative effort between MCNC-RDI and DRS Infrared Technologies.

The program objective is to develop 3-D architectures and circuits that enable massively parallel signal processing for high-resolution IR focal plane arrays for strategic and tactical systems. The 3-D interconnect permits integration of  detector arrays with multiple layers of ICs by means of insulated and metallized vias (vertical holes) etched through the body of the IC chips. The resulting multilayer structure offers optimal short interconnect paths and enables significantly higher interlayer bandwidths for more demanding signal processing requirements.