Infrared detection
First Claim
1. Infrared detector including a vacuum tube containing an infrared sensitive layer comprising:
- a plurality of densely packaged, metallic, electrically conductive needles; and
a substrate for supporting said needles so that said needles extend perpendicularly to the substrate, the diameter and the distance of the needles being smaller by about one order of magnitude or more than the wave length of the radiation to be detected.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An infrared detector includes a vacuum tube containing a photo sensitive layer comprised of densely packed needles arranged vertically on a substrate and having been grown as metal whiskers in a porous portion of the substrate. The substrate includes a metallic layer either in contact with or insulated from the needles depending upon the mode of the detecting system. The needles may face the incoming radiation, or may face away therefrom, in which case at least part of the substrate has to be transparent to infrared radiation. The radiation is either acquired directly or through an infrared optic or through a raster or line-scanning system. Photo emission from the needles can be used either directly for the production of an image or indirectly through a scanning process. The diameter and distance of the needles is significantly smaller than the radiation band to be detected.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. Infrared detector including a vacuum tube containing an infrared sensitive layer comprising:
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a plurality of densely packaged, metallic, electrically conductive needles; and a substrate for supporting said needles so that said needles extend perpendicularly to the substrate, the diameter and the distance of the needles being smaller by about one order of magnitude or more than the wave length of the radiation to be detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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7. Infrared detector including a vacuum tube with an infrared transparent window further comprising:
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a first substrate in said housing; a plurality of metallic, electrically conducting, thin and densely packed needles extending vertically from said substrate; and means for imaging infrared radiation through said window into said housing. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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16. Infrared detector including a vacuum tube containing an infrared sensitive layer comprising:
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a substrate;
a porous non-conducting layer on said substrate;a plurality of densely packaged, metallic, electrically conductive needles contained in the pores, so that said needles are supported for extending perpendicularly to the substrate, the diameter and the distance of the needles being smaller by about one order of magnitude or more than the wave length of the radiation to be detected. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification