Infrared radiation imaging array with compound sensors forming each pixel
First Claim
1. An infrared radiation sensing array comprisinga) a substrate having on a first surface, a plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of pixel areas arranged in an array;
- b) within each pixel area, a sensor comprising a plurality of infrared sensitive microbridge subsensors arranged in a sub-array, each subsensor spanning an underlying pit and having first and second output terminals across which appears a voltage responsive to presence of infrared radiation impinging on a radiation-responsive surface of the subsensor, at least one of said subsensors within a pixel area having its radiation-responsive surface facing away from the pit within the pixel area;
c) within each pixel area, a plurality of subsensor conductors electrically connecting the subsensors in that pixel area together in a predetermined manner which provides a composite signal to which each subsensor contributes electrical energy; and
d) a plurality of sensor output conductors, each one associated with a single sensor, and carrying the composite signal produced by that sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An infrared imaging array of thermoelectric sensors has a plurality of electrically connected microbridge subsensors comprising each sensor of the array. Each subsensor consists of a short span microbridge lying across a relatively small pit. The use of many of such subsensors for each sensor rather than a single large area microbridge sensor for a single pixel allows each pixel to be made large enough to give good sensitivity in either vacuum or gas-filled designs, and at the same time avoid the reduced fabrication yield which results when sensors span large pits.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. An infrared radiation sensing array comprising
a) a substrate having on a first surface, a plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of pixel areas arranged in an array; -
b) within each pixel area, a sensor comprising a plurality of infrared sensitive microbridge subsensors arranged in a sub-array, each subsensor spanning an underlying pit and having first and second output terminals across which appears a voltage responsive to presence of infrared radiation impinging on a radiation-responsive surface of the subsensor, at least one of said subsensors within a pixel area having its radiation-responsive surface facing away from the pit within the pixel area; c) within each pixel area, a plurality of subsensor conductors electrically connecting the subsensors in that pixel area together in a predetermined manner which provides a composite signal to which each subsensor contributes electrical energy; and d) a plurality of sensor output conductors, each one associated with a single sensor, and carrying the composite signal produced by that sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification