Thermal detector with nucleation element and method
First Claim
1. A thermal sensor mounted to a substrate to provide an image representative of the amount of thermal radiation incident to the thermal sensor, comprising:
- a nucleation element;
a first thin film electrode disposed adjacent to the nucleation element;
a thermally sensitive element comprising a plurality of preferentially ordered crystals, the preferential ordering of said crystals resulting from the presence of said nucleation element, said thermally sensitive element being in electrical communication with the first thin film electrode; and
a second thin film electrode in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive element.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Thermal sensor (36) mounted to a substrate (34). The thermal sensor may include a first thin film electrode (52), a nucleation element (55), a thermally sensitive element (50) and a second thin film electrode (54). The first thin film electrode (52) may be disposed adjacent to the nucleation element(52). The thermally sensitive element (50) may be in electrical communication with the first thin film electrode (52). The thermally sensitive element (50) may comprise a plurality of preferentially-ordered crystals. The second thin film electrode (54) may be in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive element (50) opposite the nucleation element (55).
22 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A thermal sensor mounted to a substrate to provide an image representative of the amount of thermal radiation incident to the thermal sensor, comprising:
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a nucleation element; a first thin film electrode disposed adjacent to the nucleation element; a thermally sensitive element comprising a plurality of preferentially ordered crystals, the preferential ordering of said crystals resulting from the presence of said nucleation element, said thermally sensitive element being in electrical communication with the first thin film electrode; and a second thin film electrode in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8)
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7. A thermal sensor mounted to a substrate to provide an image representative of the amount of thermal radiation incident to the thermal sensor, comprising:
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a nucleation element; a first thin film electrode disposed adjacent to the nucleation element; a thermally sensitive element comprising a plurality of preferentially ordered crystals in electrical communication with the first thin film electrode; and a second thin film electrode in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive element; the nucleation element being disposed adjacent to the thermally sensitive element opposite the second thin film electrode.
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9. A thermal imaging system for producing an image of a scene in response to incident thermal radiation from the scene, comprising:
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optics for focusing incident thermal radiation emitted by the scene onto a focal plane array; a chopper disposed between the optics and the focal plane array; the focal plane array including a plurality of thermal sensors for detecting the incident thermal radiation mounted to a substrate with each thermal sensor comprising; a nucleation element; a first thin film electrode disposed adjacent to the nucleation element; a thermally sensitive element comprising a plurality of preferentially ordered crystals, the preferential ordering of said crystals resulting from the presence of said nucleation element, said thermally sensitive element being in electrical communication with the first thin film electrode; a second thin film electrode in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive element; and electronics for receiving an processing the signal to obtain a video signal representing radiance differences emitted by objects in the scene. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for fabricating a thermal sensor comprising the steps of:
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forming a first thin film electrode; forming a nucleation element disposed adjacent to the first thin film electrode; forming a thermally sensitive element comprising a plurality of preferentially ordered crystals, the preferential ordering of said crystals resulting from the presence of said nucleation element with said thermally sensitive element being in electrical communication with the first thin film electrode; and forming a second thin film electrode in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive element.
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15. A method for fabricating a thermal detector having a focal plane array of thermal sensors mounted to an integrated circuit substrate comprising the steps of:
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forming a sacrificial layer of material on a surface of the integrated circuit substrate; forming a thin film layer of thermally sensitive material layer; forming a first thin film layer of electrically conductive material in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive layer; forming a nucleation layer in communication with a surface of the thermally sensitive layer; crystallizing the thin film layer of thermally sensitive material beginning at the surface in communication with nucleation layer; forming a second thin film layer of electrically conductive material in electrical communication with the thermally sensitive layer opposite the first thin film layer; and forming from the thin film layers of material a number of thermal sensors which form the focal plane array mounted to the integrated circuit substrate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification