A radiation detector includes a substrate and a membrane suspended above the substrate by spacers, wherein the spacers electrically contact a radiation sensor formed in the membrane and thermally insulate the membrane from the substrate.

An infrared thermal sensor for detecting infrared radiation is described. It comprises a substrate and a cap structure together forming a sealed cavity. A membrane is suspended therein by a plurality of beams, each beam comprising at least one thermocouple arranged therein or thereon for measuring a temperature difference between the membrane and the substrate. At least two beams have a different length and each of the thermocouples have a substantially same constant width to length ratio such that the thermal resistance measured between the membrane and the substrate is substantially constant for each beam, and such that the electrical resistance measured between the membrane and the substrate is substantially constant for each beam. The beams may be linear, and be oriented in a non-radial direction.

A micromechanical sensor device and a corresponding production method include a substrate that has a front and a rear and a plurality of pillars that are formed on the front of the substrate. On each pillar, a respective sensor element is formed, which has a greater lateral extent than the associated pillar. A cavity is provided laterally to the pillars beneath the sensor elements. The sensor elements are laterally spaced apart from each other by respective separating troughs and make electrical contact with a respective associated rear contact via the respective associated pillar.

A thermoelectric conversion material is represented by a composition formula Ag.sub.2S.sub.(1-x)Se.sub.x. The value of x is not smaller than 0.2 and not greater than 0.95.

An optical sensor includes a light receiver and a circuit portion electrically connected to the light receiver, and the circuit portion includes a substrate, an electronic component on the substrate, a resin covering the electronic component, and a metal pillar electrically connected to the electronic component and including a portion covered with the resin and a portion exposed from the resin, and the light receiver is located on the circuit.

An optical sensor includes a light receiver, a circuit portion having an electronic component electrically connected to the light receiver, a metal cap covering an upper portion of the light receiver and includes a cavity facing the light receiver, an optical filter in the cavity of the metal cap, and a metal stem connected to the metal cap, and the circuit portion is on the metal stem.

Microbolometer systems and methods are provided herein. For example, an infrared imaging device includes a microbolometer array. The microbolometer array includes a plurality of microbolometers. Each microbolometer includes a microbolometer bridge that includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a resistive layer configured to capture infrared radiation. The second portion includes a second portion having a plurality of perforations defined therein.

A thermal pixel configured as an electromagnetic emitter and/or an electromagnetic detector. The thermal pixel comprises a micro-platform suspended with semiconductor nanowires from a surrounding support platform. The nanowires comprise phononic structure providing a decrease in thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, the pixel is structured for operation within a broad bandwidth or a limited bandwidth. Metamaterial and/or photonic crystal filters provide pixel operation over a limited bandwidth. In some other embodiments, the micro-platform comprises a nanotube structure providing a broadband emission/absorption spectral response.

An infrared detector includes: a laminate of semiconductor in which a first electrode layer, a light receiving layer, and a second electrode layer are laminated in this order; a first insulating film configured to be in contact with the laminate and covers a surface of the laminate; and a second insulating film configured to be in contact with and covers a surface of the first insulating film opposite to an interface between the first insulating film and the laminate, wherein the first insulating film is configured to have a lower Gibbs free energy than an oxide of a material from which the laminate is formed, and in the second insulating film, diffusion of impurity is larger than in the first insulating film.

A light detection device includes a Fabry-Perot interference filter, a light detector, a spacer that has a placement surface on which a portion outside a light transmission region in a bottom surface of the interference filter is placed, and an adhesive member that adheres the interference filter and the spacer to each other. Elastic modulus of the adhesive member is smaller than elastic modulus of the spacer. At least a part of a lateral surface of the interference filter is located on the placement surface such that a part of the placement surface of the spacer is disposed outside the lateral surface. The adhesive member is disposed in a corner portion formed by the lateral surface of the interference filter and the part of the placement surface of the spacer and contacts each of the lateral surface and the part of the placement surface.