Infrared imager using room temperature capacitance sensor
First Claim
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1. A method of detecting radiation, comprising the steps of:
- providing a microcantilever within a substrate, including the steps of;
providing a base for coupling said microcantilever to said substrate and providing a thermal isolation element for isolating said microcantilever from said substrate wherein the microcantilever has at least one physical property that is affected by radiation;
exposing said microcantilever to a source of radiation;
monitoring a radiation-induced change in the at least one physical property of the microcantilever to determine a magnitude of the change; and
determining a measure of the radiation from the magnitude of the radiation-induced changes in the at least one physical property of the microcantilever.
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Abstract
An infrared imager includes an array of capacitance sensors that operate at room temperature. Each infrared capacitance sensor includes a deflectable first plate which expands due to absorbed thermal radiation relative to a non-deflectable second plate. In one embodiment each infrared capacitance sensor is composed of a bi-material strip which changes the position of one plate of a sensing capacitor in response to temperature changes due to absorbed incident thermal radiation. The bi-material strip is composed of two materials with a large difference in thermal expansion coefficients.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method of detecting radiation, comprising the steps of:
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providing a microcantilever within a substrate, including the steps of;
providing a base for coupling said microcantilever to said substrate and providing a thermal isolation element for isolating said microcantilever from said substrate wherein the microcantilever has at least one physical property that is affected by radiation;
exposing said microcantilever to a source of radiation;
monitoring a radiation-induced change in the at least one physical property of the microcantilever to determine a magnitude of the change; and
determining a measure of the radiation from the magnitude of the radiation-induced changes in the at least one physical property of the microcantilever. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A sensor for detecting radiation in response to a radiation-induced change, comprising:
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a microcantilever formed within a substrate and including at least one physical property that is affected by radiation, a base coupling said microcantilever to said substrate, and a thermal isolation element isolating said microcantilever from said substrate; and
means for determining a measure of a radiation-induced change in the at least one physical property;
wherein said radiation-induced change comprises a change in the at least one physical property of the microcantilever. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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Specification