Fabry-Perot micro filter-detector
First Claim
1. A monolithic micro tunable Fabry-Perot filter-detector comprising:
- a first wafer;
an array of detectors formed on said first wafer;
a ring formed on said first wafer, said ring encircling said array of detectors;
a second wafer;
a first mirror formed on said second wafer;
a bridge structure;
a second mirror formed on said bridge structure;
a Fabry-Perot cavity formed by attaching said bridge structure to said second wafer such that said first and second mirrors face each other; and
an actuator formed on said bridge proximate to said second wafer, wherein said actuator can cause said first and second mirrors to vary in distance from each other so as to tune said Fabry-Perot cavity; and
wherein said second wafer is situated on said ring resulting in a hermetically sealed confinement containing said Fabry-Perot cavity and said array of detectors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A monolithically constructed infrared, tunable Fabry-Perot cavity filter-detector for spectroscopic detection of particular substances having an absorption line in the wavelength range from 2 to 12 microns. The filter-detector has a hermetically sealed Fabry-Perot cavity that has a mirror which has an adjustable distance relative to another mirror of the cavity. The former mirror is adjusted by piezoelectric film on the mirror support or with piezoelectric stacks or wall supporting the mirror. There may be electrodes situated near the mirrors for capacitive sensing of the distance between the mirrors. Light to be filtered and detected comes in through a window wafer which may have diffractive or refractive microlenses, plus an optional spatial filter. After passing through the window wafer, the light is filtered by the tunable mirrors of the Fabry-Perot cavity. The portion of the light that is passed by the cavity is detected by an infrared microbolometer or a CCD array. The cavity and detector are hermetically sealed in a vacuum.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A monolithic micro tunable Fabry-Perot filter-detector comprising:
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a first wafer; an array of detectors formed on said first wafer; a ring formed on said first wafer, said ring encircling said array of detectors; a second wafer; a first mirror formed on said second wafer; a bridge structure; a second mirror formed on said bridge structure; a Fabry-Perot cavity formed by attaching said bridge structure to said second wafer such that said first and second mirrors face each other; and an actuator formed on said bridge proximate to said second wafer, wherein said actuator can cause said first and second mirrors to vary in distance from each other so as to tune said Fabry-Perot cavity; and wherein said second wafer is situated on said ring resulting in a hermetically sealed confinement containing said Fabry-Perot cavity and said array of detectors.
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2. A tunable Fabry-Perot filter-detector comprising:
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a first wafer; a first mirror formed on said first wafer; a second wafer; a second mirror formed on said second wafer; at least one adjustable support connected to said first and second wafers; a third wafer; at least one detector formed on said third wafer; and a support barrier connected to said first and third wafer, in a manner that encloses said second wafer, and said first and second mirrors between said first and third wafers and within said support barrier. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A monolithic tunable cavity filter-detector comprising:
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a substrate; an array of microbolometer detectors formed on said substrate; a support wall formed on a perimeter of said substrate; a window wafer formed on said support wall; a first mirror formed on said window wafer; a bridge having ends attached to said window wafer; a second mirror formed on said bridge, said mirror proximate and approximately parallel to said first mirror, for forming a Fabry-Perot cavity; and at least one piezoelectric actuator formed on the ends of said bridge, for providing a piezoelectric actuated adjustment of a distance between said first and second mirrors so as to tune the Fabry-Perot cavity to a particular wavelength of light. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification