Microfabricated albedo insensitive sun position sensor system in silicon carbide with integrated 3D optics and CMOS electronics

The next generation of satellites will need to tackle tomorrow's challenges for communication, navigation and observation. In order to do so, it is expected that the amount of satellites in orbit will keep increasing, form smart constellations and miniaturize individual satellites to make access to space cost effective. To enable this next generation of activities in space, it is vital to ensure the ability of these satellites to properly navigate themselves. This control starts with attitude measurement by the dedicated sensors on the satellite, commonly performed by sun position sensors. The state-of-the art is confronted by large signal distortions caused by light reflected by the Earth's albedo as well as keeping up with the satellite miniaturization trend. This work aims to address both these issues, by presenting a microfabricated albedo insensitive sun position sensor in silicon carbide with wafer-level integrated optics. The presented 10 mm x 10 mm x 1 mm system reaches a mean angular accuracy of 5.7 degrees in a +/- 37 degrees field-of-view and integrates an on-chip temperature sensor with a-3.9 mV K-1 in the 20 degrees C to 200 degrees C

Automated summary

The next generation of satellites will tackle future challenges by increasing the number of satellites in orbit, forming smart constellations, and miniaturizing individual satellites. Proper navigation is vital for these satellites, which starts with attitude measurement using sun position sensors. However, current sensors face signal distortions caused by Earth's albedo and the trend of satellite miniaturization. This study presents a microfabricated albedo insensitive sun position sensor with integrated optics, reaching a mean angular accuracy of 5.7 degrees in a +/- 37 degrees field-of-view and including an on-chip temperature sensor.