Micromachined pyro-optical structure
US6770882B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 14, 2002 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 14, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J2005/0077
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
This invention is a micromachined sensor pixel structure that can be fabricated either as a discrete sensor or in array form with application to thermal sensing of radiation receive from various wavelength emitters. The transmissivity of a thermally-isolated microplatform is a sensitive function of temperature. This transmissivity is modulated by incident radiation from sources including infrared sources. The transmissivity of a micromachined structure is interrogated by means of an optical carrier. Readout is obtained by means of conventional silicon optical sensors or imagers. A multiplicity of micromachined pixels can be tailored for specific wavelengths permitting the array to operate as a multispectral imager with windows ranging from ultraviolet to millimeter wavelengths.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.