Damage thresholds of silicon-based cameras for in-band and out-of-band laser expositions

Abstract

The damage threshold of silicon-based cameras to laser irradiation is measured for continuous wave lasers at both in-band and out-of-band wavelengths. Clarifications about the various kinds of damage reported in the literature are also presented and explained through various tests. For increasing laser intensities, the sequence of laser effects on cameras usually starts from dazzling, to a decrease of the pixel response up to the complete neutralization of its pixel matrix. However, the intensity range for the complete sequence of these laser effects can strongly depend on the laser wavelengths and the tested cameras, particularly for out-of-band laser wavelengths. The proposed definitions of damage thresholds presented in this work offer a basis for the future comparison of results between different studies.