The micromechanical photothermal spectroscopy system and method includes a cantilever assembly having at least one cantilever thermal sensor extending from a support. The sensors may be simple bimetallic sensors, or may include microchannels made from two materials having different thermal expansion coefficients for analysis of microfluids. A beam of infrared light is separated out from solar radiation by gratings and filters, and is at least partially projected on the cantilever sensor(s). Heat released from the analyte by absorbance of infrared light results in deflection of the cantilever sensor(s), which is measured by a deflection detector. A filter wheel permits tuning of the sunlight-based infrared light beam to plot a spectrum of absorbance as a function of wavelength or wave number characteristic of the analyte. The deflection detector may be optical (using a laser and position sensitive detector(s)), or may use piezo-resistive material embedded in the sensor(s).

Thermal monitors comprising a substrate with at least one camera position on a bottom surface thereof, a wireless communication controller and a battery. The camera has a field of view sufficient to produce an image of at least a portion of a wafer support, the image representative of the temperature within the field of view. Methods of using the thermal monitors are also described.

An ultra-small thermal imaging core, or micro-core. The design of the micro-core may include substrates for mounting optics and electronic connectors that are thermally matched to the imaging Focal Plane Array (FPA). Test fixtures for test and adjustment that allow for operation and image acquisition of multiple cores may also be provided. Tooling may be included to position the optics to set the core focus, either by moving the lens and lens holder as one or by pushing and/or pulling the lens against a lens positioning element within the lens holder, while observing a scene. Test procedures and fixtures that allow for full temperature calibration of each individual core, as well as providing data useful for uniformity correction during operation may also be included as part of the test and manufacture of the core.

A thermal detector including a substrate, an absorbent membrane including a fixed part and a deformable part, the latter including a shape-memory alloy, and being arranged with respect to the substrate in such a way that its free end is in contact with the substrate at the contact temperature T.sub.c above the austenite start temperature A.sub.s.

Thermal monitors comprising a substrate with at least one camera position on a bottom surface thereof, a wireless communication controller and a battery. The camera has a field of view sufficient to produce an image of at least a portion of a wafer support, the image representative of the temperature within the field of view. Methods of using the thermal monitors are also described.

A camera apparatus. The camera apparatus includes a housing having a front end and a back end; a lens, wherein the lens is disposed in the front end of the housing; and a thermal core, wherein the thermal core is disposed between the lens and the back end of the housing, the thermal core further comprising: at least one substrate; at least one thermally conductive member configured to remove heat from the thermal core; and an infrared imager affixed to one of the at least one substrate, the infrared imager configured to capture an infrared video stream.

Infrared imaging devices are provided which are configured to implement side-scan infrared imaging for, e.g., medical applications. For example, an imaging device includes a ring-shaped detector element comprising a circular array of infrared detectors configured to detect thermal infrared radiation, and a focusing element configured to focus incident infrared radiation towards the circular array of infrared detectors. The imaging device can be an ingestible imaging device (e.g., swallowable camera) or the imaging device can be implemented as part of an endoscope device, for example.

An electronic device may include: a display having at least one hole disposed in at least a part thereof such that light from the outside can be transmitted therethrough; a light-emitting element disposed under the display and configured to output a first infrared ray to the outside; a first light-receiving element disposed under the display at a position corresponding to the at least one hole, and configured to receive a second infrared ray transmitted from the outside; a second light-receiving element disposed under the display at a position where light from the outside is shielded; and at least one processor configured to, based on that a first sensing value according to the second infrared ray, output from the first light-receiving element, satisfies a first specified condition, while the first infrared ray is output: based on that a second sensing value output from the second light-receiving element does not satisfy a second specified condition, identify that a proximate object exists, and based on that the second sensing value satisfies the second specified condition, identify that the proximate object does not exist.

An SMD-enabled infrared thermopile sensor has at least one miniaturized thermopile pixel on a monolithically integrated sensor chip accommodated in a hermetically sealed housing which consists of an at least partially non-metallic housing substrate and a housing cover. A gas or a gas mixture is contained in the housing. The sensor has a particularly low overall height, in particular in the z direction. This is achieved by virtue of an aperture opening being introduced in the housing cover opposite the thermopile pixel(s), which aperture opening is closed with a focusing lens which focuses the radiation from objects onto the thermopile pixel(s) on the housing substrate, and by virtue of a signal processing unit being integrated on the same sensor chip next to the thermopile pixels, wherein the total housing height and the housing cover are at most 3 mm or less than 2.5 mm.

A method and a sensing device are provided. The sensing device may include a readout circuit, a bulk, a holding element and a heterojunction bipolar transistor; wherein heterojunction bipolar transistor is configured to generate detection signals responsive to a temperature of at least a portion of the heterojunction bipolar transistor; wherein the holding element is configured to support the heterojunction bipolar transistor; wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor is thermally isolated from the bulk; wherein the readout circuit is electrically coupled to the heterojunction bipolar transistor; and wherein the readout circuit is configured to receive the detection signals and to process the detection signals to provide information about electromagnetic radiation that affected the temperature of the at least portion of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.