Thermal radiation imaging devices and systems
US4931648A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 2, 1981 |
| Grant date | Jun 5, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 2, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10F39/184
Abstract
Between the spaced biasing electrodes of a thermal radiation imaging device A D.C. bias source is connected to cause the flow of a bias current in the device body which is preferably of n-type cadmium mercury telluride. The bias current supports an ambipolar drift of radiation-generated minority carriers (holes) in the opposite direction. The device is operated in a system in which the radiation pattern is scanned across the device body in the same direction and at the same rate as the ambipolar velocity. Instead of having a single read-out electrode, a more sophisticated system with better performance is obtained by distributing between the spaced biasing electrodes a plurality of read-out electrodes each of which forms a Schottky barrier or p-n junction with the body material.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.