Pixel structure and an associated method of fabricating the same
US6891161B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 17, 2003 |
| Grant date | May 10, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 12, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J5/20
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A pixel structure, which forms one element of a focal plane array, includes a bolometer having a detector and an insulator. The detector that is made from a material that absorbs incident thermal radiation and has an electrical resistance that varies in response to changes in the temperature of the material. The insulator has a plurality of serpentine legs disposed completely underneath the detector so that the insulator extends between the detector and the substrate. And the insulator supports the detector in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to the substrate to thermally isolate the detector from the substrate. To further improve the performance of the bolometer, the bolometer includes a resonant layer between the detector and the insulator. The resonant layer is disposed such that areas defined between the detector and the resonant layer, and between the resonant layer and the insulator, form first and second resonant cavities, respectively.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.