Pixel-level optical elements for uncooled infrared detector devices
First Claim
1. An uncooled infrared detector element, comprising:
- a substrate;
a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising a membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate; and
a monolithically fabricated optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure, the monolithically fabricated optical element being structurally attached by an optical element support interconnect to an electrically conductive interconnect of the detector element;
wherein the membrane material comprises electrically conductive material;
wherein the membrane material is supported at a position spaced above the substrate by at least two spaced electrically conductive interconnects; and
wherein the monolithically fabricated optical element is suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure by at least two optical element support interconnects that are at least partially aligned to and supported by the at least two electrically conductive interconnects.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Pixel-level monolithic optical element configurations for uncooled infrared detectors and focal plane arrays in which a monolithically integrated or fabricated optical element may be suspended over a microbolometer pixel membrane structure of an uncooled infrared detector element A monolithic optical element may be, for example, a polarizing or spectral filter element, an optically active filter element, or a microlens element that is structurally attached by an insulating interconnect to the existing metal interconnects such that the installation of the optical element substantially does not impact the thermal mass or thermal time constant of the microbolometer pixel structure, and such that it requires little if any additional device real estate area beyond the area originally consumed by the microbolometer pixel structure interconnects.
26 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An uncooled infrared detector element, comprising:
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a substrate; a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising a membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate; and a monolithically fabricated optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure, the monolithically fabricated optical element being structurally attached by an optical element support interconnect to an electrically conductive interconnect of the detector element; wherein the membrane material comprises electrically conductive material;
wherein the membrane material is supported at a position spaced above the substrate by at least two spaced electrically conductive interconnects; and
wherein the monolithically fabricated optical element is suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure by at least two optical element support interconnects that are at least partially aligned to and supported by the at least two electrically conductive interconnects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An uncooled infrared detector element, comprising:
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a substrate; a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising a membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate; a monolithically fabricated optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure, the monolithically fabricated optical element being structurally attached by an optical element support interconnect to an electrically conductive interconnect of the detector element; and one or more radiation detectors provided within or below the substrate and a reflector layer disposed on an upper surface of the substrate between the substrate and the microbolometer pixel structure, one or more openings being defined in the reflector layer corresponding to and vertically aligned with the one or more radiation detectors;
wherein one or more openings are defined in the membrane structure corresponding to and vertically aligned with the one or more openings defined in the reflector layer; and
wherein the optical element comprises one or more microlenses that are each configured to focus radiation onto a corresponding one of the radiation detectors through a corresponding opening in the membrane structure and a corresponding opening in the reflector layer. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A focal plane array assembly, comprising:
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a plurality of uncooled infrared detector elements arranged as an array, each of the plurality of uncooled infrared detector elements comprising; a substrate including read out integrated circuitry (ROIC), and a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising an electrically conductive membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate by at least two spaced electrically conductive interconnects electrically coupled to the ROTC; where at least a portion of the plurality of uncooled infrared detector elements of the array further comprise a monolithically fabricated optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure by at least two optical element support interconnects that are at least partially aligned to and supported by the at least two electrically conductive interconnects. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of making a focal plane array assembly, comprising:
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providing a substrate; forming read out integrated circuitry (ROIC) for the substrate; forming a plurality of uncooled infrared detector elements arranged as an array, each of the plurality of uncooled infrared detector elements comprising; a substrate including read out integrated circuitry (ROIC); and a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising an electrically conductive membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate by at least two spaced electrically conductive interconnects electrically coupled to the ROIC, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure having a thermal mass value; and monolithically fabricating an optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure of at least a portion of the plurality of uncooled infrared detector elements of the array by at least two optical element support interconnects that are at least partially aligned to and supported by the at least two electrically conductive interconnects. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An uncooled infrared detector element, comprising:
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a substrate; a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising a membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate; a monolithically fabricated optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure; one or more radiation detectors provided within or below the substrate and a reflector layer disposed on an upper surface of the substrate between the substrate and the microbolometer pixel structure, one or more openings being defined in the reflector layer corresponding to and vertically aligned with the one or more radiation detectors; wherein one or more openings are defined in the membrane structure corresponding to and vertically aligned with the one or more openings defined in the reflector layer; and wherein the optical element comprises one or more microlenses that are each configured to focus radiation onto a corresponding one of the radiation detectors through a corresponding opening in the membrane structure and a corresponding opening in the reflector layer. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A focal plane array of uncooled infrared detector elements, comprising:
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a substrate; and a plurality of uncooled infrared detector elements, each of the plurality of infrared detector elements comprising; a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising a membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate, and a monolithically fabricated optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure, the monolithically fabricated optical element being structurally attached by an optical element support interconnect to an electrically conductive interconnect of the detector element, wherein the membrane material comprises electrically conductive material;
wherein the membrane material is supported at a position spaced above the substrate by at least two spaced electrically conductive interconnects; and
wherein the monolithically fabricated optical element is suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure by at least two optical element support interconnects that are at least partially aligned to and supported by the at least two electrically conductive interconnects.
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Specification