ST-10ME New Product Announcement

SBIG is pleased to announce the new ST-10ME
CCD camera with enhanced Quantum Efficiency:

Kodak has significantly increased the quantum efficiency of the KAF-3200E detector in its new KAF-3200ME version. The peak quantum efficiency for the KAF-3200ME has been increased to over 85%. Previously, this level of QE was achievable only through the expensive process of thinning the wafer and illuminating the image sensor from the backside (e.g., SITe and Marconi arrays). The QE for the blue wavelength of 400 nm is nearly double that of the 3200E and there is a 30% increase in QE over the 3200E (from 65% to 85%) at the important deep red H-alpha emission line.

Except for the increased QE, the CCD specifications remain the same as the 3200E: 2184 x 1472 pixels at 6.8 microns with the same low read noise and low dark current as the KAF-3200E CCD. The cosmetic grades also remain the same: a Class 2 CCD is free of column defects.


ST-10E	ST-10ME

The sample test exposures, above, demonstrate the difference in sensitivity of the new ME detector. The same portion of Orion nebula was taken on the same night through the same scope (C11 at F/7) with each camera operating at the same temperature. Both cameras had identical gain settings. Both images are 60 second exposures and each was saved with the same background and range setting before converting to JPEG format.

We have been asked if we are going to support the Marconi back illuminated CCD in our new camera design. While we are considering adding it next year, we are not convinced that there is a significant advantage to doing so, particularly now with the release of the KAF-3200ME CCD by Kodak. The QE of the Kodak part is very comparable to the thinned back illuminated Marconi CCD and the dark current of the Marconi CCD is on the order of 30 times higher than the Kodak part at any given temperature (even when binned to 13.6 micron pixels, the Kodak part has much lower dark current - see the chart below). Add to this the higher pixel count, greater flexibility and better cosmetic grades of the KAF-3200ME and we do not believe that the Marconi CCD is as good as the Kodak KAF-3200ME for most astronomical applications, let alone superior.

	KAF-3200ME Based ST-10ME	Marconi 47-10 CCD Based Camera
Pixel Array	2184 x 1472	1024 x 1024
No. of pixels	3.1 million	1 million
Pixel size	6.8 u	13 u
CCD size	14.9 x 10 mm	13.3 x 13.3 mm
CCD diagonal	17.9 mm	18.8 mm
QE at 400 nm	60%	50%
QE at 500 nm	66%	88%
QE at 656 nm (H-alpha region)	86%	89%
Read noise	9 e-	~ 10 e-
Dark Current at +20º C.	8 - 16 e-	250 - 500 e-
Dark Current at 0º C.	~ 0.9 e-	>30 e-
Dark Current at -30º C.	~ 0.03 e-	~ 2 e-