Uncooled IR Imaging Research Articles

In situ construction of PtSe2/Ge Schottky junction array with interface passivation for broadband infrared photodetection and imaging

AbstractInfrared (IR) detection is vital for various military and civilian applications. Recent research has highlighted the potential of two‐dimensional (2D) topological semimetals in IR detection due to their distinctive advantages, including van der Waals (vdW) stacking, gapless electronic structure, and Van Hove singularities in the electronic density of states. However, challenges such as large‐scale patterning, poor photoresponsivity, and high dark current of photodetectors based on 2D topological semimetals significantly impede their wider applications in low‐energy photon sensing. Here, we demonstrate the in situ fabrication of PtSe2/Ge Schottky junction by directly depositing 2D PtSe2 films with a vertical layer structure on a Ge substrate with an ultrathin AlOx layer. Due to high quality junction, the photodetector features a broadband response of up to 4.6 μm, along with a high specific detectivity of ~1012 Jones, and operates with remarkable stability in ambient conditions as well. Moreover, the highly integrated device arrays based on PtSe2/AlOx/Ge Schottky junction showcases excellent Mid‐IR (MIR) imaging capability at room temperature. These findings highlight the promising prospects of 2D topological semimetals for uncooled IR photodetection and imaging applications.image

섬광의 적외선 특성 연구

To effectively utilize a flash and predict its effects on an infrared device, it is essential to know the infrared characteristics of the flash source. In this paper, a study of the IR characteristics of flash light sources is carried out. The IR characteristics of three flash sources, of which two are combustive and the other is explosive, are measured with an IR characteristic measurement system over the middle- and long-wavelength infrared ranges. From the measurements, the radiances over the two IR ranges and the radiative temperatures of the flashes are extracted. The IR radiance of flash A is found to be the strongest among the three, followed by those of sources C and B. It is also shown that the IR radiance of flash A is about 10 times stronger than that of flash B, even though these two sources are the same type of flash with the same powder. This means that the IR radiance intensity of a combustive flash source depends only on the amount of powder, not on the characteristics of the powder. From the measured radiance over MWIR and LWIR ranges for each flashes, the radiative temperatures of the flashes are extracted by fitting the measured data to blackbody radiance. The best-fit radiative temperatures (equivalent to black-body temperatures) of the three flash sources A, B, and C are 3300, 1120, and 1640 K respectively. From the radiance measurements and radiative temperatures of the three flash sources, it is shown that a combustive source radiates more IR energy than an explosive one; this mean, in turn, that the effects of a combustive flash on an IR device are more profound than those of an explosive flash source. The measured IR radiances and radiative temperatures of the flash sources in this study can be used to estimate the effects of flashes on various IR devices, and play a critical role for the modeling and simulation of the effects of a flash source on various IR devices.Keywords: Flash lights, Spectral radiance, Radiative temperature, Pyroelectric IR detectorOCIS codes: (040.3060) Infrared; (200.4560) Optical data processing, (350.5610) Radiation, (040.6808) Thermal (uncooled) IR detectors, arrays and imaging

High-speed infrared imaging by an uncooled optomechanical focal plane array.

In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the imaging speed of the optomechanical focal plane array infrared imaging system can be significantly improved by changing the pressure in the vacuum chamber. The decrease in the thermal time constant is attributed to the additional thermal conductance caused by air. The response time will be greatly shortened to about 1/3 time in low vacuum (around ∼10(2) Pa) compared with that in high vacuum. At a chamber pressure of 50 Pa, the "trailing" in the IR image of a moving hot iron is eliminated with negligible deterioration in the image quality. Moreover, infrared images on rapid occurrence events, such as ignition of an alcohol blast burner, lighting and fusion of a tungsten filament, are captured at a frame rate up to 200 Hz. The above results show that the proposed pressure-dependent performance provides a way to improve the system imaging speed and helps to slow down a dynamic event, which is of great value to the uncooled IR imaging systems in practical applications.

High-performance graphics arrays for uncooled IR imaging

High-performance graphics arrays for uncooled IR imaging

MEMS thermal imager with optical readout

A cantilever-based uncooled IR imager was developed utilizing a novel optical readout scheme based on inter-pixel interference. A series of small arrays (approximately 100 × 100 pixels) were fabricated using 8-in. silicon MEMS processes. The array design and process development will be discussed and initial uniformity and imaging results presented. Future challenges in developing a direct-view IR imager will be addressed.

Correlation of temperature response and structure of annealed VOx thin films for IR detector applications

The effects of thermal annealing on vanadium oxide (VOx) thin films prepared by pulsed-dc magnetron sputtering were studied to explore methods of improving the efficiency of uncooled IR imaging microbolometers, particularly with respect to maximizing the temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR) (typically ∼2%) while minimizing resistivity values (typically 0.05–5Ωcm). Since high TCR values are usually associated with high resistivities, the experiments were designed to find processing conditions that provide an optimal balance in these properties and to then determine the underlying structural correlations which would enable rational design of thin films for this specific application. VOx films of different compositions were deposited by pulsed-dc reactive sputtering from a vanadium target at different oxygen flow rates. The deposited films were further modified by annealing in inert (nitrogen) and oxidizing (oxygen) atmospheres at four different temperatures for 10, 20, or 30min at a time. The resistivities of the as-deposited films ranged from 0.2to13Ωcm and the TCR values varied from −1.6% to −2.2%. Depending on the exact annealing conditions, several orders of magnitude change in resistance and significant variations in TCR were observed. Optimal results were obtained with annealing in a nitrogen atmosphere. Structural characterization by x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy indicated changes in the film crystallinity and phase for annealing conditions over 300°C with the onset and extent of the changes dependent on which annealing atmosphere was used.

Uncooled matrix IR detector based on optoacoustic cells and optoelectronic reading system

The matrix structure 200 × 200 of optoacoustic cells (OAC) for uncooled IR imager with optoelectronic reading system is fabricated and investigated at the first time. Cells 100 μm in diameter shaped on ZnSe window and filled by xenon. Photosensitive layer consisted of SiO2 film with adsorption range 8–14 μm. Flexible membrane 0.1 μm of thick consisted of SiO2 and Al films. Radiation temperature sensitivity and noise equivalent power with optics f/1 were 0.15 K/Hz1/2 and 10 nW/Hz1/2, respectively, and the thermal response time was below 30 ms.

Biomaterial-based infrared detection

This effort is focused on the use of crustacyanin protein extracted from the lobster shell in IR detection and imaging applications. In addition to the protein's excellent reversible thermo-active response in the IR region of interest, electrical characteristics versus temperature showed that the protein can be used as an electro-optic thermal sensing device as well. The high sensitivity and fast response of the protein layer were further enhanced by the deposition process we used. The thin coatings were prepared by Langmuir–Blodgett and self-assembly techniques. Furthermore, the protein exhibited temperature variation under Ti:sapphire laser excitation at different wavelengths in ambient environment. We have also shown that the protein exhibits fluorescence properties after exposure to IR heat. Stability of the protein, which is important in this type of application, was also demonstrated using the different characterization techniques after repeated heating/cooling cycles. We can conclude that this protein represents a formidable candidate for the fabrication of IR sensors and microbolometers for uncooled IR imaging applications.

Optical-readout micro-cantilever array IR imaging system and performance analysis

The uncooled IR imaging technology has wide applications. Using the optical readout uncooled IR imaging system built in our laboratory, thermal images of human body are obtained successfully by placing a bi-material micro-cantilever array (FPA) without silicon substrate in air. By comparing the IR imaging results obtained by placing FPA under different vacuum pressures, the pressure dependence of the thermal conductance and system noise is modeled, and the influence to the system performance is analyzed. The model of thermal conductance of gas is analyzed and verified experimentally on condition that the mean-free path of the gas molecules is larger than the gas gap between the bi-material cantilever and the wall of vacuum chamber. Experimental analysis indicates that for FPA working in air, the random vibration noise of the cantilever impacted by the gas molecules' thermal motion is the main source of the system noise. When the pressure decreases to lower than 10-2 Pa, the influence of gas conductance can be neglected, the total thermal conductance decreases to the limit of radiative conductance, and the random vibration noise of the cantilever is reduced to a minimum. The experimental results and theoretical analysis agree well.

Polycrystalline lead selenide: the resurgence of an old infrared detector

AbstractThe existing technology for uncooled MWIR photon detectors based on polycrystalline lead salts is stigmatized for being a 50-year-old technology. It has been traditionally relegated to single-element detectors and relatively small linear arrays due to the limitations imposed by its standard manufacture process based on a chemical bath deposition technique (CBD) developed more than 40 years ago. Recently, an innovative method for processing detectors, based on a vapour phase deposition (VPD) technique, has allowed manufacturing the first 2D array of polycrystalline PbSe with good electro optical characteristics. The new method of processing PbSe is an all silicon technology and it is compatible with standard CMOS circuitry. In addition to its affordability, VPD PbSe constitutes a perfect candidate to fill the existing gap in the photonic and uncooled IR imaging detectors sensitive to the MWIR photons. The perspectives opened are numerous and very important, converting the old PbSe detector in a serious alternative to others uncooled technologies in the low cost IR detection market. The number of potential applications is huge, some of them with high commercial impact such as personal IR imagers, enhanced vision systems for automotive applications and other not less important in the security/defence domain such as sensors for active protection systems (APS) or low cost seekers.Despite the fact, unanimously accepted, that uncooled will dominate the majority of the future IR detection applications, today, thermal detectors are the unique plausible alternative. There is plenty of room for photonic uncooled and complementary alternatives are needed. This work allocates polycrystalline PbSe in the current panorama of the uncooled IR detectors, underlining its potentiality in two areas of interest, i.e., very low cost imaging IR detectors and MWIR fast uncooled detectors for security and defence applications. The new method of processing again converts PbSe into an emerging technology.

AN OPTIC-FIBER INTERFEROMETER FOR THE DYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROSTRUCTURES

This article describes a measurement system designed to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of micromechanical structures. The system is based on Active Homodyne demodulation M-Z optic-fiber interferometer and can measure out-of-plane movement with a sensitivity of 0.1 nm. To validate the system, vibration measurements have been carried on a typical MEMS structure — the sensitive elements of a kind of uncooled IR imaging system, an array of micromachined bimaterial cantilevers (micron dimensions) — and the results are compared with the ones from FEM model analysis and another measurement method which can be known as spectrum plane optic filtering. The three results agree with each other. The first natural frequencies of the structures are determined from data obtained by vibrating the structures using a PZT excitation system. The mode shapes and modal damping will be carried out soon after a scanning system is completed.

Long-wavelength type-II photodiodes operating at room temperature

The operation of uncooled InAs-GaSb superlattice photodiodes with a cutoff wavelength of /spl lambda//sub c/=8 /spl mu/m and a peak detectivity of 1.2/spl times/10/sup 8/ cmHz/sup 1/2//W at zero bias is demonstrated. The detectivity is similar to the best uncooled HgCdTe detectors and microbolometers. However, the R/sub 0/A product is more than two orders of magnitude higher than HgCdTe and the device is more than four orders of magnitude faster than microbolometers. These features combined with their low 1/f noise and high uniformity make these type-II photodiodes an excellent choice for uncooled high-speed IR imaging arrays.

Thermal imager primary design and analysis using PC based scientific spreadsheet

Effective primary design can avoid over-specification that will cause waste on cost. In this work, we propose a relatively simple procedure to rapid and reasonably write specifications, design systems and analyze requirements. The IR imager primary system design and analysis concepts adopt here are described. By using the primary design and analysis concept to cope with system performance models and PC based scientific spreadsheet to construct a mathematical software package which provides a costefficient, compliant solution to a design problem and predict thermal imager performance to an analysis problem. An illustrative example is presented to express more detail specifically due to the uncooled IR imager.

Epitaxial Growth of Ba1−xSrxTiO3 Thin Films on YBa2Cu3O7−x Electrode by PE-MOCVD

AbstractPlasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (PE-MOCVD) has been successfully employed for the deposition of (100) oriented barium strontium titanate (BST) thin films on a variety of substrate and electrode materials. The incorporation of O2 plasma, which was used as oxidation reactant, has helped to reduce the required temperature for deposition of high-quality STO and BST thin films. This low temperature processing may make it possible to integrate BST on Si and GaAs. BST films with low leakage current densities of about 10−7 A/cm2 at 2-volt (about 105 V/cm) operation were obtained from PE-MOCVD processing. Moreover, the BST results of capacitance-temperature (C-T) measurements show that most of the PE-MOCVD BST films have Curie temperatures of about 30–35°C and a peak dielectric constant of 600–800 at zero bias voltage, The sharp transition in the C-T data indicates that the BST films may have a high induced pyroelectric coefficient at room temperature, which is highly desirable for uncooled IR imaging arrays. The x-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry results show that the BST film composition reproducibility was well controlled at around Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 with a 4% variation. Device quality BST thin films with the thickness of 1000–2000 Å were produced. These results indicate that PE-MOCVD has high potential to be further developed and promoted as a production deposition technique providing high permittivity dielectric thin films for microelectronics and IR sensor industries.