Maintaining Capabilities in CCD Production for the Astronomy Community
Pith reviewed 2026-05-24 21:01 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
DALSA will end its role producing custom CCDs for astronomy after migrating to 200 mm wafers without updating the required tools.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
The paper states that Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor has been the main industrial partner for custom CCD fabrication on 150 mm wafers for more than twenty years, enabling devices matched to astronomical instruments. DALSA is shifting manufacturing to 200 mm wafers but will not update its CCD processing tools for the new format. As a direct result, DALSA will no longer serve as a partner to the astronomy community in CCD manufacturing. The authors therefore recommend that the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and NASA jointly pursue a new commercial partner to maintain capabilities in custom CCD design for astronomy applications.
What carries the argument
The long-term manufacturing partnership with Teledyne DALSA for custom CCDs on 150 mm wafers, which has supplied astronomy-specific detectors.
If this is right
- Custom CCD production for astronomy will require a new commercial foundry to replace DALSA.
- Joint action by the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and NASA will be needed to secure and fund a replacement partner.
- Continued access to custom CCD designs depends on preserving or replicating the prior 150 mm wafer capabilities.
- Future astronomical instruments that rely on specialized CCD detectors may face production challenges without a new partner.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- Instrument projects already in planning may need to accelerate timelines or explore detector redesigns if a new partner is not secured soon.
- The search for a replacement could include evaluating whether existing semiconductor lines can be adapted without major new investment.
- If domestic options prove limited, agencies might need to consider partnerships with international foundries to maintain the capability.
Load-bearing premise
That no other commercial foundries currently offer or will soon offer equivalent custom CCD fabrication services on 150 mm or compatible formats.
What would settle it
Confirmation that at least one other commercial foundry is actively producing or committed to producing custom CCDs on 150 mm or 200 mm wafers with suitable processing tools for astronomy use.
read the original abstract
CCD detectors play a vital role in all aspects of optical astronomy. Critical to advancing research is the ability to partner with commercial foundries to produce custom devices that meet the needs of specific instruments. For more than 20 years, Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor was the primary industrial partner in the manufacturing of 150 mm wafers for CCDs. DALSA is migrating the manufacturing from 150mm to 200mm wafer diameter and will not be updating their CCD processing tools for the new format wafer. As a result, DALSA will no longer serve as a partner to the astronomy community in the manufacturing of CCDs. We recommend that the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and NASA jointly pursue a new commercial partner in CCD fabrication to maintain capabilities in custom CCD design for astronomy applications.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript states that Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor has been the primary industrial partner for manufacturing custom 150 mm wafer CCDs for astronomy for more than 20 years. It asserts that DALSA is migrating production to 200 mm wafers without updating the CCD processing tools for the new format, and therefore will no longer serve as a partner to the astronomy community. The paper recommends that the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and NASA jointly pursue a new commercial partner to maintain capabilities in custom CCD design and fabrication.
Significance. If the premise holds, the note identifies a potential disruption in a critical supply chain for optical astronomy instrumentation. CCDs remain essential for a wide range of ground- and space-based instruments, and the loss of a long-standing foundry partner could affect the ability to obtain custom devices optimized for specific scientific requirements.
major comments (1)
- [Abstract] Abstract (main paragraph): The central factual claim that DALSA 'will no longer serve as a partner to the astronomy community in the manufacturing of CCDs' is presented without any cited sources, correspondence, technical specifications, or analysis of alternative fabrication routes. This premise is load-bearing for the subsequent policy recommendation.
minor comments (1)
- The manuscript is a short policy note rather than a research article; consider adding a brief paragraph on the current scale of custom CCD demand in astronomy (e.g., references to ongoing or planned instruments) to provide context for the recommendation.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for their review and for highlighting the need to substantiate the central claim in our manuscript. We respond to the major comment below.
read point-by-point responses
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Referee: [Abstract] Abstract (main paragraph): The central factual claim that DALSA 'will no longer serve as a partner to the astronomy community in the manufacturing of CCDs' is presented without any cited sources, correspondence, technical specifications, or analysis of alternative fabrication routes. This premise is load-bearing for the subsequent policy recommendation.
Authors: We agree that the manuscript should make the basis of this claim explicit. The information originates from direct communications between Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor and members of the astronomy instrumentation community. These communications are not public documents, so citations were not possible. We will revise the abstract and body text to state clearly that the claim rests on private communications with DALSA and to note the resulting loss of 150 mm custom CCD capability. We will also add a concise paragraph discussing why other commercial or institutional routes do not immediately provide equivalent access to the same custom CCD design and fabrication expertise. These changes will strengthen the policy recommendation without altering its substance. revision: yes
- Specific correspondence, technical specifications, or internal DALSA documents cannot be cited or reproduced because they are confidential business communications.
Circularity Check
No significant circularity
full rationale
The document is a short policy recommendation letter containing only factual statements about DALSA's wafer-size migration and a direct policy recommendation. It contains no equations, derivations, fitted parameters, or load-bearing self-citations. The central claim follows directly from the stated industry change without any reduction to its own inputs or ansatz smuggling. This is the normal case of a self-contained factual report with no derivation chain to inspect.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (1)
- domain assumption Custom CCD detectors designed for specific instruments play a vital role in advancing optical astronomy research.
discussion (0)
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