Diffraction and background-limited operation at room temperature is the ultimate goal of the infrared physicist. The achievement of this goal is strongly dependent on the hybridization technology utilized in bonding the IR focal plane array to the Si ROIC. To this end, this book describes a disruptive architecture in the field of hybridization known as the vertically integrated photodiode. This technology, as applied specifically to HgCdTe, is described in detail by the author. However, it can in principle be applied to any IR semiconducting material system, provided suitable dry etch and...