To provide an infrared temperature sensor that is corrected in detected temperature while ensuring high responsiveness. An infrared temperature sensor 10 according to the present invention includes a heat conversion film 40, an infrared detection element 43 held by the heat conversion film 40, a temperature compensation element 45 that is provided adjacently to the infrared detection element 43 and is held by the heat conversion film 40, a light guide part 59 that guides entered infrared rays toward the infrared detection element 43, and a blocking part 27 that blocks the infrared rays from being incident on the temperature compensation element 45, in which an inner surface of the light guide part 59 configures an irradiation surface 57 to be irradiated with the infrared rays, and the irradiation surface 57 includes a correction region 58 that is different in emissivity of the infrared rays from surroundings.

A semiconductor device for measuring IR radiation comprising: at least one sensor pixel; at least one reference pixel shielded from said IR radiation comprising a heater; a controller adapted for: measuring a responsivity by applying power to the heater, while not heating the sensor pixel; measuring a first output signal of an unheated pixel and a first reference output signal of the heated pixel, obtaining the responsivity as a function of a measure of the applied power to the heater and of the difference between the first output signal and the first reference output signal; applying a period of cooling down until the temperature of the reference pixel and the sensor pixel are substantially the same; generating the output signal indicative of the IR radiation, based on the difference between the sensor and the reference output signal, by converting this difference using the responsivity.

A method for contactlessly establishing a temperature of a surface includes determining the temperature measurement values of the plurality of measurement pixels. The method further includes correcting the temperature measurement values by using in each case a pixel-associated temperature drift component. The method further includes at least temporarily suppressing an incidence of infrared radiation onto the infrared detector array using the closure mechanism of the infrared measurement system while temperature measurement values are being determined. The method further includes determining the temperature drift components using the temperature measurement values.

A method for contactlessly establishing a temperature of a surface includes determining the temperature measurement values of the plurality of blind pixels and determining temperature measurement values of the plurality of measurement pixels. The method further includes determining a temperature measurement value and a temperature measurement values by subtracting the temperature measurement value of the first blind pixel of the plurality of blind pixels from a temperature measurement value of a second blind pixel of the plurality of blind. The method further includes correcting the temperature measurement values by pixel-associated temperature drift components in each case, wherein the temperature drift components are determined using the temperature measurement value and/or the temperature measurement value.

A method and an infrared measuring system for determining a temperature distribution of a surface without contact includes an infrared detector array with a detector array substrate and respective pluralities of measuring pixels and reference pixels. The measuring pixels are each connected to the detector array substrate with a first thermal conductivity, are sensitive to infrared radiation, and each provide a measurement signal for determining a temperature measurement value that depends on the intensity of the incident infrared radiation. The reference pixels are each connected to the detector array substrate with a second thermal conductivity and each provide a measurement signal for determining a temperature measurement value. The reference pixels are implemented as blind pixels that are substantially insensitive to infrared radiation. The temperature measurement values of the measuring pixels are corrected by a pixel-associated temperature drift component determined with reference to the temperature measurement values of the reference pixels.

A semiconductor device for measuring IR radiation comprising: at least one sensor pixel; at least one reference pixel shielded from said IR radiation comprising a heater; a controller adapted for: measuring a responsivity by applying power to the heater, while not heating the sensor pixel; measuring a first output signal of an unheated pixel and a first reference output signal of the heated pixel, obtaining the responsivity as a function of a measure of the applied power to the heater and of the difference between the first output signal and the first reference output signal; applying a period of cooling down until the temperature of the reference pixel and the sensor pixel are substantially the same; generating the output signal indicative of the IR radiation, based on the difference between the sensor and the reference output signal, by converting this difference using the responsivity.

The present disclosure is directed to a sensor package having a thermopile sensor and a reference (or dark channel) thermopile sensor disposed therein for temperature measurements. In one or more implementations, the sensor package includes a substrate, a thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference temperature sensor disposed over the substrate surface, a lid assembly disposed over the thermopile sensor and the reference thermopile sensor, and a thermo-optical shield. The thermo-optical shield defines an aperture over the thermopile sensor such that at least a portion of the thermo-optical shield is positioned over the reference thermopile sensor to provide optical and thermal shielding for portions of the sensor package.

The present disclosure is directed to a sensor package having a thermopile sensor and a reference (or dark channel) thermopile sensor disposed therein for temperature measurements. In one or more implementations, the sensor package includes a substrate, a thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference temperature sensor disposed over the substrate surface, a lid assembly disposed over the thermopile sensor and the reference thermopile sensor, and a thermo-optical shield. The thermo-optical shield defines an aperture over the thermopile sensor such that at least a portion of the thermo-optical shield is positioned over the reference thermopile sensor to provide optical and thermal shielding for portions of the sensor package.

Techniques are provided for facilitating detection threshold determination for infrared imaging systems and methods. In one example, a method includes capturing, by an imaging device, a thermal image of a scene. The method further includes determining temperature difference data indicative of a difference between temperature data of the thermal image associated with a background of the scene and temperature data of the thermal image associated with gas detection. The method further includes determining detection threshold data based on sensitivity characteristics associated with the imaging device and the temperature difference data. The method further includes generating a detection threshold image based on the detection threshold data. Each pixel of the detection threshold image corresponds to a respective pixel of the thermal image and has a value indicative of a detection threshold associated with the respective pixel of the thermal image. Related devices and systems are also provided.

A semiconductor sensor system, in particular a bolometer, includes a substrate, an electrode supported by the substrate, an absorber spaced apart from the substrate, a voltage source, and a current source. The electrode can include a mirror, or the system may include a mirror separate from the electrode. Radiation absorption efficiency of the absorber is based on a minimum gap distance between the absorber and mirror. The current source applies a DC current across the absorber structure to produce a signal indicative of radiation absorbed by the absorber structure. The voltage source powers the electrode to produce a modulated electrostatic field acting on the absorber to modulate the minimum gap distance. The electrostatic field includes a DC component to adjust the absorption efficiency, and an AC component that cyclically drives the absorber to negatively interfere with noise in the signal.