Integrated vacuum packaging for low-cost lightweight uncooled microbolometer arrays

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry E. Cole ◽  
Robert E. Higashi ◽  
Jeff A. Ridley ◽  
R. Andrew Wood
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Vacuum Packaging ◽  
Uncooled Microbolometer

Stress Hysteresis and Thermal-Mechanical Behavior of PECVD Silicon Nitride and Ebeam Aluminum Films for Microbolometer Applications

2004 ◽  
Vol 854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shusen Huang ◽  
Xin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Mechanical Behavior ◽  
Measurement System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Central Idea ◽  
Aluminum Films ◽  
Uncooled Microbolometer ◽  
Curvature Measurement ◽  
Stress Hysteresis

ABSTRACTUncooled cantilever-based microbolometer arrays received more attention recently due to high sensitivity and low cost. The central idea is built on the deflection of a bilayer SiNx/Al material upon the temperature change. The thermal-mechanical behavior of the bilayer is significant for the performance of the microbolometers. In this paper, we perform thermal cyclings to aluminum and SiNx films. The CTEs and the stress evolutions were measured using a curvature measurement system. The curvature profile of a SiNx/Al/Si component was predicted using an extension of Stoney's formula, well agreeing with the experimental results. This work demonstrates fundamental mechanics issues in bilayer SiNx/Al components, which have a great potential for the use in uncooled microbolometer applications.

Performance analysis of low-cost uncooled microbolometer infrared detectors

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junju Zhang ◽  
Lianjun Sun ◽  
Shiyun Wang ◽  
Benkang Chang ◽  
Yunsheng Qian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Infrared Detectors ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Uncooled Microbolometer

scholarly journals A low-cost chopping system and uncooled microbolometer array for ground-based astronomy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. Rashman ◽  
I. A. Steele ◽  
S. D. Bates ◽  
J. H. Knapen
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Mid Infrared ◽  
Evolved Stars ◽  
Uncooled Microbolometer ◽  
Star Formation In Galaxies ◽  
Infrared Background ◽  
Sensitivity Improvement ◽  
Imaging Instrument ◽  
Infrared Sources

AbstractMid-Infrared imaging is vital for the study of a wide variety of astronomical phenomena, including evolved stars, exoplanets, and dust enshrouded processes such as star formation in galaxies. However, infrared detectors have traditionally been expensive and it is difficult to achieve the sensitivity needed to see beyond the overwhelming mid-infrared background. Here we describe the upgrade and commissioning of a simple prototype, low-cost 10 μ m imaging instrument. The system was built using commercially available components including an uncooled microbolometer focal plane array and chopping system. The system was deployed for a week on the 1.52 m Carlos Sanchez Telescope and used to observe several very bright mid-infrared sources with catalogue fluxes down to $\sim 600$ ∼ 600 Jy. We report a sensitivity improvement of $\sim 4$ ∼ 4 mag over our previous unchopped observations, in line with our earlier predictions.

Low-cost amorphous-silicon-based 160x120 uncooled microbolometer 2D array for high-volume applications

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Luc Tissot ◽  
Astrid Astier ◽  
Jean-Pierre Chatard ◽  
Sebastien Tinnes ◽  
Cyrille Trouilleau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Uncooled Microbolometer ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
2D Array

Low-Cost Wafer-Level Vacuum Packaging for MEMS

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Gooch ◽  
Thomas Schimert
Keyword(s):  
Microelectromechanical Systems ◽  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Rf Mems ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Vacuum Packaging ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Focal Plane Arrays ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
Component Level ◽  
Widespread Application

AbstractVacuum packaging of high-performance surface-micromachined uncooled microbolometer detectors and focal-plane arrays (FPAs) for infrared imaging and nonimaging applications, inertial MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) accelerometers and gyroscopes, and rf MEMS resonators is a key issue in the technology development path to low-cost, high-volume MEMS production. In this article, two approaches to vacuum packaging for MEMS will be discussed. The first is component-level vacuum packaging, a die-level approach that involves packaging individual die in a ceramic package using either a silicon or germanium lid. The second approach is wafer-level vacuum packaging, in which the vacuum-packaging process is carried out at the wafer level prior to dicing the wafer into individual die. We focus the discussion of MEMS vacuum packaging on surface-micromachined uncooled amorphous silicon infrared microbolometer detectors and FPAs for which both component-level and wafer-level vacuum packaging have found widespread application and system insertion. We first discuss the requirement for vacuum packaging of uncooled a-Si microbolometers and FPAs. Second, we discuss the details of the component-level and wafer-level vacuum-packaging approaches. Finally, we discuss the system insertion of wafer-level vacuum packaging into the Raytheon 2000AS uncooled infrared imaging camera product line that employs a wafer-level-packaged 160 × 120 pixel a-Si infrared FPA.

Low Cost Microbolometer Development Using Commercially Available CMOS Foundry Processes

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khoa V. Dang ◽  
Philippe Pouliquen ◽  
Michael Grenn ◽  
Andreas Andreou ◽  
Paul Blase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Focal Plane Arrays ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Cmos Process ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Uncooled Microbolometer ◽  
Dry Etch

We have demonstrated the monolithic fabrication of uncooled microbolometer Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) for infrared imaging applications using available CMOS, BiCMOS foundry processing and micromachining techniques which trade higher performance with potentially much higher yield and lower production costs. Past and current efforts have exclusively focused on using the commercial silicon foundries for the Readout Integrated Circuits (ROICs) fabrication, and then the microbolometer detector bridges are fabricated on top of the ROICs using processes that involve many complex growth layers and etching steps. These current approaches require specialized microbolometer fabrication facilities and foundries to be built and maintained. We have demonstrated methods to fabricate inexpensive, reasonable performance uncooled microbolometer FPAs using commercially available silicon foundries. To be truly cost effective, we are using the commercial foundries to fabricate the microbolometer FPAs. To release or suspend the bolometer structures, we have used a simple post-foundry maskless anisostropic or isotropic wet/dry etch. We have fabricated a prototype 13×14 uncooled microbolometer FPA using the commercial AMI 1.5um CMOS process as well as a 38×38 microbolometer array using the AMI 0.5um CMOS process. Discussions of the microbolometer circuit designs, MEMS micromachining techniques, and test results will be presented.

scholarly journals Uncooled microbolometer arrays for ground-based astronomy

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (1) ◽  
pp. 480-487
Author(s):  
M F Rashman ◽  
I A Steele ◽  
S D Bates ◽  
D Copley ◽  
S N Longmore
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Cooling Rate ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Optical Design ◽  
Lunar Eclipse ◽  
Sensitivity Limit ◽  
Uncooled Microbolometer ◽  
Imaging Instrument ◽  
Stellar Sources ◽  
Total Integration

ABSTRACT We describe the design and commissioning of a simple prototype, low-cost 10 μm imaging instrument. The system is built using commercially available components including an uncooled microbolometer array as a detector. The incorporation of adjustable germanium reimaging optics rescale the image to the appropriate plate scale for the 2 m diameter Liverpool Telescope. From observations of bright Solar system and stellar sources, we demonstrate a plate scale of 0.75 arcsec per pixel and confirm the optical design allows diffraction limited imaging. We record a ∼10 $\, {\rm per\, cent}$ photometric stability due to sky variability. We measure a 3σ sensitivity of 7 × 103 Jy for a single, ∼0.11 s exposure. This corresponds to a sensitivity limit of 3 × 102 Jy for a 60 s total integration. We present an example science case from observations of the 2019 January total lunar eclipse and show that the system can detect and measure the anomalous cooling rate associated with the features Bellot and Langrenus during eclipse.

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