Uncooled microbolometer detector and array for terahertz detection
US9261411B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 2012 |
| Grant date | Feb 16, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 17, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J5/0804
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An uncooled microbolometer detector that includes a substrate, a platform held above the substrate by a support structure, at least one thermistor provided on the platform, and an optical absorber. The optical absorber includes at least one electrically conductive layer extending on the platform over and in thermal contact with the at least one thermistor and patterned to form a resonant structure defining an absorption spectrum of the uncooled microbolometer detector. The optical absorber is exposed to electromagnetic radiation and absorbs the electromagnetic radiation according to the absorption spectrum. A microbolometer array including a plurality of uncooled microbolometer detectors arranged in a two-dimensional array is also provided. Advantageously, these embodiments allow extending the absorption spectrum of conventional infrared uncooled microbolometer detectors to the terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.