INFRARED FOCAL-PLANE ARRAY DETECTORS FOR SPECTROSCOPIC AND IMAGING APPLICATIONS. Valeria D. Kleiman*, Steve M. Arrivo*, Tom P Dougherty*, Edwin J. Heilweil*, Linda H. Kidder#, Ira W. Levin#, and E. Neil Lewis#, *Building 221, Room B208, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, and #Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD (*301-975-5797, email: valeria.kleiman@nist.gov)

Characterization of two 256x256 elements focal-plane array detectors and their applications to diverse problems are presented here. These arrays (InSb and HgCdTe) cover most of the infrared spectrum (0.5-11mm combined). A variable integration time that can be externally triggered provides a minimum dark count background making them optimal for detecting broadband cw or pulsed light. Among the possible applications, the detection range available with the InSb focal-plane array allows direct measurement of ultrafast spectroscopic changes in a broad spectral region. As another example, the HgCdTe array is combined with an FTIR and a microscope to provide high-definition chemical imaging in the fingerprint region, allowing direct visualization of chemical heterogeneities on a wide range of materials.