Hybrid THz imaging detector with vertical antenna and sub-pixel suspended MEMS thermal sensor and actuator
US8872112B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 2, 2011 |
| Grant date | Oct 28, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 27, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J2005/0077
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A THz radiation detector comprising a vertical antenna separated from a suspended platform by an isolating thermal air gap for concentrating THz radiation energy into a smaller suspended MEMS platform upon which a thermal sensor element is located. THz photon energy is converted into electrical energy via a thermally isolated air gap between plates of a coupling capacitor that couples energy from the antenna to the thermal sensor. The capacitor plates used for capacitive coupling of the received signal realize an electro-static actuator whereby the application of a DC bias varies the coupling capacitor gap. The DC bias causes the actuator to pull the suspended platform close to the antenna to reduce the capacitive gap, increasing the coupling capacitance, to touch the antenna array thus quickly discharging the heat induced in the sensor platform or to perform advanced readout operations, such as amplitude modulation and correlated double sampling.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.