Boron-doped nanocrystalline silicon germanium thin films for uncooled infrared bolometer applications

In this paper, boron-doped nanocrystalline Si_0.78Ge_0.22:H thin film is assessed for use as resistive sensing layer in uncooled infrared bolometer applications. The silicon germanium thin films were deposited by PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) through decomposition of silane, germane and diborane diluted with argon at substrate temperature of 230 °C. Under optimum deposition parameters, the sensing films with modulate electrical resistivity (<10⁴ Ω cm) and high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) (>−3%/K) were obtained at room temperature. 1/f noise character in the form of the normalized Hooge parameter was measured in the frequency range of 1–64 Hz, resulting in a lower 1/f noise compared to other materials currently used for device application.     

高精度非致冷长波红外热像仪的辐射标定

为使非致冷长波红外热像仪在不同温度下保持较高的测温精度,建立了考虑探测器工作温度效应的非致冷长波红外热像仪的辐射标定模型。对非致冷长波红外热像仪进行辐射标定实验,在不同黑体温度和不同亮度增益值条件下,获得了16组图像灰度与探测器工作温度之间的函数关系,建立了目标温度的数学计算模型,并对定标结果进行了实验验证。结果表明：在25～40℃,探测器的工作温度效应可做线性化处理,且与目标温度无关。通过设定合适的亮度增益值可使红外热像仪的测温误差〈0.5℃,极大地提高了非致冷长波红外热像仪在不同温度环境下的测温精度。     

一种用于非制冷红外热成像系统的图像增强方法

在基于微悬臂梁的光学读出红外成像系统中,获得的红外图像有明显噪声,甚至有连续噪点组成孔洞,让目标难以辨识出来,因此提出基于特征模板卷积的红外图像增强方法。利用Hough变换根据微悬臂梁结构的特点,获得特征卷积模板的尺寸信息,根据成像系统特点建立卷积模板。让模板在图像内逐点卷积,建立评价参数阈值消除图像内噪声。进行均值滤波来填补噪声点及FPA单元的间隔,获得增强后的红外图像。实验结果表明,方法不仅能够有效增强光学读出红外成像系统的成像质量,对于普通存在噪声的图像也有良好的噪声消除效果。     

A novel infrared absorbing structure for uncooled infrared detector

In this paper, we proposed a novel infrared absorbing structure for uncooled infrared detectors. The infrared absorber makes use of a quarter-wavelength structure composed of a dielectric layer, a protecting layer, an active layer, a supporting layer and a reflecting layer. Sputtered amorphous silicon is used as a dielectric layer because of its high refractive index. We fabricated the uncooled microbolometer with the proposed infrared absorbing structure by surface micromachining method. Then we characterized various bolometric properties such as thermal conductance, thermal time constant, responsivity and infrared absorptance. The fabricated bolometer showed the thermal conductance of 6.72 × 10⁻⁷ W/K, the thermal mass of 4.43 × 10⁻⁹ J/K, the thermal time constant of 6.6 ms and the responsivity of 7.76 × 10³ V/W at 10 Hz chopper frequency and 9.22 μA bias current. From the results, the estimated absorptance is about 80%. We expect that the proposed absorbing structure shows high infrared absorption and high performance of uncooled microbolometer.     

一种非致冷红外探测器真空封装的研究

介绍了一种非致冷红外探测器杜瓦组件的封装设计;对探测器件在真空封装过程中的关键工艺技术进行了比较深入的分析;阐述了影响组件真空寿命及可靠性的因素以及解决措施.     

非制冷长波红外热像仪折衍混合双视场光学系统设计

根据衍射光学元件具有大的负向色散特性,将衍射光学元件应用于红外双视场光学系统中,根据傅里叶光学分析衍射光学元件(DOE)的消色差,列表对比折射透镜与衍射光学透镜的特性,并给出变倍比为4∶1可用作非制冷红外热像仪的光学系统的具体设计实例.系统采用切入式变焦方式,在短焦时切入2片透镜实现宽视场,通过引入二元面和非球面提高了成像质量.设计结果表明:在空间频率11 lp/mm处,短焦距40 mm时,各个视场的MTF值均大于0.6;长焦距160 mm时,各个视场的MTF值均大于0.7,宽视场和窄视场都具有较好的成像质量.     

A high responsivity,low-noise germanium bolometer for the far infrared

A p-type compensated germanium bolometer operating at 0.1 K is found to have a responsivity of 2.8×10⁷ V/W and an estimated limiting NEP of 3x10^-16 W/(Hz)^{$\text{1}\text{2}$}.     

High-performance pyroelectric single crystals for uncooled infrared detection applications

Uncooled pyroelectric infrared detectors based on ferroelectric single crystals 0.74Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–0.26PbTiO₃ (PMN–0.26PT) were fabricated. The performances of pyroelectric detectors dependence on detector fabrication temperature, absorption layer, and element thickness were compared. The room-temperature voltage responsivity (R_v) of 200 V/W and specific detectivity (D^*) of 10⁸ cm Hz^1/2/W at 12.5 Hz have been achieved. The results reveal that the better pyroelectric response can be expected by controlling temperature below 70 °C during the fabrication of the pyroelectric detectors, selecting absorption layer with high absorption coefficient, and decreasing the thickness of the elements.     

The influence of background power on the performance of an ideal bolometer

The effects of radiant power loading on the performance of an ideal bolometer are analysed. The operation of the bolometer is characterized in terms of dimensionless parameters which correspond to the temperature sensitivity of the thermometric material, the electrical bias point and the amount of optical power loading. Expressions are derived for the zero frequency NEP and responsivity. Examples are given for the case of a bolometer cooled to 100 mK and used for ground-based astronomical photometry at submillimetre wavelengths.     

Theoretical analysis and experimental application of CDS CMOS integrated circuit for uncooled infrared focal plane arrays

In this paper, a typical correlated double sampling (CDS) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit for uncooled infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) is theoretically analyzed, the key factor of CDS CMOS integrated circuit is pointed out, and a new CDS integrated circuit which is high correlative for low-frequency noise is applied in an experimental readout chip for uncooled IRFPA. Theoretical analysis indicates that the sample transfer function of a noise source acted on by CDS processing is related to noise frequency and sampling time interval and the key factor of CDS circuit for reducing or eliminating noise in readout integrated circuit is the sampling time interval. The experimental readout chip with high noise-correlative CDS integrated circuit is fabricated to verify the theoretical analysis, which can be applied to uncooled IRFPAs.     

Progress in MOCVD growth of HgCdTe heterostructures for uncooled infrared photodetectors

This paper describes the significant progress in the development of metalorganic chemical vapour deposition of Hg_1−xCd_xTe (HgCdTe) multilayer heterostructures on GaAs/CdTe substrates for uncooled infrared photodetectors. The paper focuses on the interdiffused multilayer process (IMP). The optimum conditions for the growth of single layers and complex multilayer heterostructures have been established.

One of the crucial stages of HgCdTe epitaxy is CdTe nucleation on GaAs substrate. Successful composite substrates have been obtained with suitable substrate preparation, liner and susceptor treatment, proper control of background fluxes and appropriate nucleation conditions. Epiready (1 0 0) GaAs wafers with 2–4° disorientation towards 1 0 0 and 1 1 0 have been used. Due to the large mismatch between GaAs and CdTe, both (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) growth may occur. Generally, layers with orientation (1 0 0) show superior morphology compared to (1 1 1), but they are also characterized by hillocks.

The benefits of the precursors, ethyl iodine (EI) and arsine (AsH₃), for controlled iodine donor doping and arsenic acceptor doping at dopant concentrations relevant for HgCdTe junction devices are summarized. In situ anneal seems to be sufficient for iodine doping at any required level. In contrast, efficient As doping with near 100% activation requires ex situ anneal at near saturated mercury vapours.

Finally, the multilayer fully doped heterostructures for photovoltaic devices operated at room temperature have been fabricated. The special attention is focused on the improvement in multijunction LWIR photovoltaic detectors. The performance of photodiodes is also presented.     

An effective approach for simulating the two-color infrared seekers

Using two-color, in the infrared seekers became a popular technique to achieve an efficient tracking in the existence of countermeasures. Simulating the seeker for getting the target and flares information signals is a critical task, as the more dynamics and robust simulation will help to achieve more robust IRCCM algorithms. In this paper a general method is stated to be simple, effective, dynamics, and independent of the reticle structure.     

All-reflective snapshot hyperspectral imager for ultraviolet and infrared applications

Snapshot hyperspectral imaging simultaneously acquires spatial and spectral information about a scene. We report on the first, to our knowledge, all-reflective snapshot hyperspectral imager in the form of a computed tomography imaging spectrometer (CTIS). The reflective design allows for instrument simplicity for applications in the ultraviolet and infrared. To realize a CTIS in a reflective Offner configuration, a reflective two-dimensional computer-generated hologram grating is fabricated on a convex spherical substrate by direct-write electron-beam lithography. Furthermore, a reconfigurable reflective field stop is implemented with a micromirror array to provide high-contrast spatial-spectral filtering, region-of-interest selection, and spatial structure formation.     

High-performance modulation-doped AlGaAs/InGaAs thermopiles for uncooled infrared FPA application

Novel thermopile based on modulation doped AlGaAs/InGaAs heterostructures is proposed and developed for the first time, for uncooled infrared FPA (Focal Plane Array) image sensor application. The high responsivity with the high speed response time are designed to be 4900 V/W with 110 μs under the 2 μm design rule. Based on integrated HEMT–MEMS technology, the 32 × 32 matrix FPA is fabricated to demonstrate its enhanced performances by black body measurement. The technology presented here demonstrates the potential of this approach for low-cost uncooled infrared FPA image sensor application.     

非制冷热像仪内部温升对测温精度的影响修正

随着非制冷型热像仪工作时间的增长,其内部器件、机械结构所积累的热量越来越多,其温升所导致的热辐射势必会对热像仪的测温精度产生严重影响。因此,要实现热像仪的准确测温,必须对其内部的各温升影响因素进行相应的修正。本文通过对影响测温精度的镜筒辐射温度、探测器靶面温度以及热像仪工作累积时间三个因素进行评估和建模,并对其相互关系进行评价,根据数据模型对热像仪辐射测温值进行修正。结果表明,在实验室条件下,经过修正,非制冷型红外热像仪测温精度可控制在±1℃以内,其稳定性可控制在±0.5℃以内。修正后的温度结果基本不受内部温升的影响,有效的提高了非制冷测温型热像仪的稳定性、可重复性以及测温精度。     

Study on high-precision temperature measurement of infrared thermal imager

The objective of this paper is to improve the precision and reliability of algorithms for temperature measurement using an IRFPA. A high-precision infrared temperature measurement algorithm based on the nonlinear response of each pixel in the IRFPA is proposed. The results show that the error variance of the algorithm is about one-sixth of traditional algorithms under identical conditions.     

基于NiosⅡ的非制冷红外图像处理系统研究

设计一个非制冷红外图像处理系统，该系统放弃了目前普遍应用的数字信号处理器（DSP）＋现场可编程门阵列（FPGA）的系统构架，采用基于FPGA的NiosⅡ嵌入式处理器的系统构架，实现了系统的小型化。提出一种基于流水线结构的信号处理方法，并利用NiosⅡ嵌入式处理器软硬件开发工具，实现了在该系统上对非制冷红外焦平面阵列非均匀性进行校正和盲元补偿的实时处理，降低了系统的工作频率。实验结果表明：该系统能够对非制冷红外图像进行实时处理，工作性能稳定，处理效果良好。     

分孔径红外偏振成像仪光学系统设计

为了在复杂及伪装的红外背景中识别出小温差目标,本文提出了一种基于分孔径的偏振成像系统结构,并对分孔径偏振成像系统所采用的分孔径成像系统及中继成像系统进行了设计研究。首先,根据Stokes矢量介绍了系统的工作理论和光学结构;其次,在现有探测器的结构参数要求下,计算出了光学系统的偏心量等参数,选择硅、锗作为透镜材料。在此基础上,确定了分孔径成像系统结构和中继成像系统结构。接着使用离轴偏心多重结构设计方法对初始结构进行了优化,研究了将普通红外物镜转变为具有实入瞳的像方远心结构的方法;最后,完成了分孔径成像系统和中继成像系统的整体系统匹配。设计结果表明,整体系统的调制传递函数在探测器奈奎斯特频率为17 lp/mm处大于0.6,能够满足系统的设计要求。本文设计的结构可以对探测目标实现实时偏振成像,且具有结构紧凑的优点。     

An effective thermal conductance tuning mechanism for uncooled microbolometers

With the increasing demand on infrared (IR) detectors for imaging harsh environment processes, widening the application range of uncooled microbolometer arrays has become an important research area. An efficient way of increasing this range is tuning the thermal conductance of the microbolometer array using electrostatic actuation, which is usually achieved by directly applying an actuation voltage to the substrate. However, this method does not allow pixel-by-pixel actuation, limiting the tunability. In this paper, we present a new method of actuation which uses the micromirror located below the microbolometer as the actuation terminal. We demonstrate that using micromirror actuation, the thermal conductance can be tuned by a factor of three. An analytical model to calculate the thermal conductance of this new type of microbolometer is presented. Results of the model are compared to finite element simulations and experimental measurements on a test structure fabricated for this purpose, showing good agreement. The new tuning mechanism provides a fairly linear thermal conductance tunability, thus making it a promising thermal conductance controlling mechanism for adaptive IR detectors.