Correcting temperature dependence in miniature spectrometers used in cold polar environments.

ABSTRACT

Measurement biases arising from changes in temperature can be a major concern when using miniature spectrometers in extreme environments, particularly when temperature stabilization approaches are not feasible. Here, temperature-related biases of a low-power field spectrometry system comprised of a CMOS miniature monolithic spectrometer module and custom driver electronics were examined between -40°C and +25.6°C, well below the stated operating range of this particular spectrometer. Using these observations, a predictive model was developed to estimate the dark output of the spectrometry system within this extended operating range. This information was used to correct the signal at any measured integration time and temperature to that which would be measured at a reference integration time and temperature. This approach provides a general framework for assessing the temperature dependence of monolithic spectrometers whose field use will occur at temperatures outside of the range examined by the manufacturer.