Uncooled IR imaging array based on quartz microresonators

Abstract

A quartz crystal resonator's resonance frequency is sensitive to temperature. This sensitivity has been exploited in the past in thermometers made of single, macroscopic quartz resonators that can accurately detect temperature changes of /spl mu/K. Using semiconductor microfabrication techniques, it is now possible to fabricate a large number of microresonators from a single quartz wafer. It is shown that combining the small thermal mass and high thermal isolation capability of such microresonators, the steep frequency versus temperature characteristics of resonators made of certain cuts of quartz and the low-noise characteristics of quartz crystal oscillators can result in high-performance infrared (IR) sensors and sensor arrays. In a microresonator sensor, the temperature change produced by the absorption of IR energy results in a frequency change that can be measured with a resolution that corresponds to a change in the resonator's temperature of less than a /spl mu/K. Calculation shows that an array of microresonators in the 200 MHz-1 GHz range can be the basis of an uncooled IR imaging system with a noise equivalent temperature difference, NETD, of <0.01 K. The design and fabrication problems to be overcome before such microresonator arrays can be realized are discussed.