The future of large-format InSb arrays for astronomy

Introduced to astronomy less than a decade ago, infrared detector arrays have radically and forever changed astronomer's observational techniques, instruments, and telescope designs. This paper first examines the array technology development that caused this change, with emphasis on the 1- to 5-m band. Technology trends and projections for further development within the infrared industry are analyzed to assist astronomers in planning future instruments. This technology development is predicted to result in arrays with lower noise, greater well depth, response to a wider band of wavelengths, and, above all, much larger formats than arrays currently in use.