In an example, an apparatus is described that includes a non-resistive heat source, a thermally conductive face, and a temperature detector. The thermally conductive face has a controlled long-wave infrared emissivity and is in thermal contact with the non-resistive heat source. The temperature detector is positioned to detect a temperature of the thermally conductive face.

To provide an infrared sensor that allows heat to be efficiently transferred from an insulating film to a heat sensitive element and has a good responsivity. The infrared sensor according to the present invention includes an insulating film 2; a pair of first adhesive electrodes 3A that is patterned on either surface of the insulating film; a pair of first terminal electrodes 4A that is patterned on either surface of the insulating film; a first heat sensitive element 5A that is provided on either surface of the insulating film and is connected to the pair of first adhesive electrodes; a pair of first pattern wiring parts 6A that is patterned on either surface of the insulating film with one end thereof being connected to the pair of first adhesive electrodes and the other end thereof being connected to the pair of first terminal electrodes; and a heat transfer film 7.

A thermal pixel configured as an electromagnetic emitter and/or an electromagnetic detector operating within a limited bandwidth. The thermal pixel comprises a micro-platform thermally isolated from a surrounding off-platform region by phononic nanowires. In embodiments, the micro-platform is comprised of metamaterial and/or photonic crystal filters providing operation over a limited bandwidth. In other embodiments, the micro-platform is comprised of nanotube structure providing a broadband emission/absorption spectral response. Structural configurations for the pixel take advantage of the Kirchhoff law of thermal radiation which states that a good thermal emitter is also a good absorber. In a preferred embodiment the pixel is fabricated using a silicon SOI starting wafer.

The thermal sensing layer for a microbolometer includes a Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x film layer, where 0.17x0.25. The Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x film layer may be deposited on a substrate layer, such as pure silicon. An additional layer of silicon dioxide may be added, such that the silicon dioxide layer is sandwiched between the silicon substrate and the Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x film. In order to make the Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x thin film layer, germanium (Ge) and tin (Sn) are simultaneously sputter deposited on the substrate, where the atomic ratio of germanium to tin is between 0.83:0.17 and 0.75:0.25 inclusive. The sputter deposition may occur in an argon atmosphere, with the germanium having a deposition rate of 9.776 nm/min, and with the tin having a deposition rate between 2.885 nm/min and 4.579 nm/min.

The thermal sensing layer for a microbolometer includes a Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x film layer, where 0.17x0.25. The Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x film layer may be deposited on a substrate layer, such as pure silicon. An additional layer of silicon dioxide may be added, such that the silicon dioxide layer is sandwiched between the silicon substrate and the Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x film, In order to make the Ge.sub.1-xSn.sub.x thin film layer, germanium (Ge) and tin (Sn) are simultaneously sputter deposited on the substrate, where the atomic ratio of germanium to tin is between 0.83:0.17 and 0.75:0.25 inclusive. The sputter deposition may occur in an argon atmosphere, with the germanium having a deposition rate of 9.776 nm/min, and with the tin having a deposition rate between 2.885 nm/min and 4.579 nm/min.

A wearable device includes a sensor device and a clothes to which the sensor device is attached. The clothes includes a clothes body and an insertion and extraction portion that has an opening formed in the clothes body and enables the sensor device to be inserted into or extracted from the clothes body. The sensor device includes a humidity sensor configured to measure humidity in the clothes body and a housing having a first region exposed to an inside of the clothes body and a second region exposed to an outside of the clothes body, while the sensor device is inserted from the insertion and extraction portion into the clothes body. The humidity sensor is accommodated in the first region of the housing.

Illustrative embodiments disclosed herein pertain to a thermal imaging system that includes a thermal imaging sheet having an array of thermal unit cells for generating a thermal footprint in response to receiving an RF signal. The thermal footprint is composed of an array of hotspots having a first set of hotspots indicative of a radiation characteristic of a first polarization component of the RF signal, and a second set of hotspots indicative of a radiation characteristic of a second polarization component of the RF signal. Each thermal unit cell includes a first RF antenna and a second RF antenna oriented orthogonal with respect to each other. The first RF antenna includes a terminating resistor that generates a hotspot among the first set of hotspots and the second RF antenna includes another terminating resistor that generates a hotspot in the second set of hotspots.

Illustrative embodiments disclosed herein pertain to a thermal imaging system that includes a thermal imaging sheet having an array of thermal unit cells for generating a thermal footprint in response to receiving an RF signal. The thermal footprint is composed of an array of hotspots having a first set of hotspots indicative of a radiation characteristic of a first polarization component of the RF signal, and a second set of hotspots indicative of a radiation characteristic of a second polarization component of the RF signal. Each thermal unit cell includes a first RF antenna and a second RF antenna oriented orthogonal with respect to each other. The first RF antenna includes a terminating resistor that generates a hotspot among the first set of hotspots and the second RF antenna includes another terminating resistor that generates a hotspot in the second set of hotspots.

Methods and systems for performing non-contact temperature measurements of optical elements with long wavelength infrared light are described herein. The optical elements under measurement exhibit low emissivity to long wavelength infrared light and are often highly reflective or highly transmissive to long wavelength infrared light. In one aspect, a material coating having high emissivity, low reflectivity, and low transmission at long wavelength IR wavelengths is disposed over selected portions of one or more optical elements of a metrology or inspection system. The locations of the material coating are outside the direct optical path of the primary measurement light employed by the metrology or inspection system to perform measurements of a specimen. Temperature measurements of the front and back surfaces of an IR-transparent optical element are performed with a single IR camera. Temperature measurements are performed through multiple optical elements in an optical path of a primary measurement beam.

The instant disclosure provides a large-area laser heating system including a laser module, a reaction module and a guiding module. The laser module includes a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser for emitting a laser beam and a laser adjusting structure connected to the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. The incident angle of the laser beam emitted by the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is adjusted by the laser adjusting structure. The reaction module includes a sample holder for carrying a sample. The guiding module is connected between the laser module and the reaction module, and the laser beam emitted by the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser passes through the guiding module and projects onto the surface of the sample.