Spectrally selective thermopile detector
US6222111A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 24, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J5/12
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A thermopile radiation detector (10) has an optical filter layer (16) that supports a thermopile detector (22) and, in addition, filters undesired wavelengths. The filtering is accomplished by selectively absorbing electromagnetic radiation at predetermined wavelengths. The use of the thermopile radiation detector simplifies the overall construction of a system that incorporates the detector by eliminating one focal point in the optical system. By altering the filter material, the number of layers of filter material, etc., a plurality of detectors can be constructed, each responsive to a different wavelength. In forming the detector, the filter can be deposited on a thin backing material such as aluminum. Examples of suitable filter materials include alternating layers of zinc selenide/magnesium fluoride or germanium/magnesium fluoride. After the filter is deposited, the backing is etched away and suitable thermocouples, such as bismuth/antimony, are deposited on one side of the filter. Incident radiation is directed to the reverse side of the filter for selective absorption and detection.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.