Developing a robust sensor for infrared imaging bolometers

A new type of large area sensor for infrared imaging bolometers has been developed. It replaces the thin and fragile free-standing metal foils, which typically have been used, with a multi-layer coated sapphire (or diamond) substrate. Sapphire is transparent to mid-infrared wavelengths, is robust ag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of scientific instruments 2024-09, Vol.95 (9)
Main Authors: Wurden, G. A., Partesotti, G., Reimold, F., Mukai, K., Peterson, B. J., Federici, F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Black body radiation
Blackbody
Bolometers
Cameras
Decay
Electromagnetic radiation detectors
Gold coatings
Infrared imaging
Lasers
Metal foils
Multilayers
OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
Robustness
Sapphire
Sensors
Substrates
Thermal diffusivity
Thermodynamic properties
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Summary:A new type of large area sensor for infrared imaging bolometers has been developed. It replaces the thin and fragile free-standing metal foils, which typically have been used, with a multi-layer coated sapphire (or diamond) substrate. Sapphire is transparent to mid-infrared wavelengths, is robust against transients, and can be thick enough to even be the vacuum window. The primary radiation absorber is still a thin deposited metal layer, but now it is partially insulated from the supporting sapphire substrate by a black (carbon-based) layer, which also acts as a blackbody remitter. Test results indicate 6× more noise equivalent power density (estimated NEPD = 23 W/m2 at 5 ms camera exposure time, foil temperature decay time 60 ms) for a 2 μm gold-coated sapphire disk compared to estimated NEP = 4 W/m2 at 1.8 ms exposure time, with foil decay time 420 ms, for a nominal 2.5 μm thick platinum-free-standing foil.
ISSN:0034-6748
1089-7623
1089-7623
DOI:10.1063/5.0219535