This letter presents the design, fabrication, and imaging results of an uncooled infrared (IR) camera that contains a focal plane array of bimaterial microcantilever sensors, and an optical readout technique that measures cantilever deflections in the nanometer range to directly project a visible image of the IR scene on the human eye or a visible camera. The results suggest that objects at temperatures as low as 100 °C can be imaged with the best noise-equivalent temperature difference (NEΔT) in the range of 10 K. It is estimated that further improvements that are currently being pursued can improve NEΔT to about 50 mK.
This paper presents the design, fabrication and performance of an uncooled micro-optomechanical infrared (IR) imaging system consisting of a focal-plane array (FPA) containing bi-material cantilever pixels made of silicon nitride (SiNx) and gold (Au), which serve as infrared absorbers and thermomechanical transducers. Based on wave optics, a visible optical readout system is designed to simultaneously measure the deflections of all the cantilever beams in the FPA and project the visible deflection map onto a visible charge-coupled device (CCD) imager. The IR imaging results suggest that the detection resolution of current design is 3-5 K, whereas noise analysis indicates the current resolution to be around 1 K. The noise analysis also shows that the theoretical noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of the system can be below 3 mK.
This paper reviews those characterization techniques that have played significant roles in the development of HaCdTe infrared detector technology. We focus on the two specific HgCdTe devices that have achieved widespread application for infrared detection in the LWlR (8-12 um) and VLWlR (12-20 pm) spectral regions: the simple n-type photoconductor and the P-on-n LPE heterojunction photodiode. We review the device physics of these two detectors, relate device performance to starting material properties and processing parameters: and describe the most imoortant characterization techniques that have had a role in their development.
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