In a thermal infrared detector having trench structures, at least one sensor element is provided between the trench structures, an etching hole through which the sensor element is hollowed out and thereby thermally insulated is provided in a substrate rear surface or on the periphery of a pixel area, and an opening portion is provided below the pixel area.

The invention relates to a device and method for imaging electromagnetic radiation from an object. The device includes entrance optics for allowing the electromagnetic radiation to enter the device, including an image plane onto which an image of the object is to be imaged. The device includes an interferometer having a measurement arm, wherein the image plane is in the measurement arm. The device includes a transformation layer, at the image plane, for transforming the electromagnetic radiation into a spatiotemporal variation of the refractive index of the transformation layer for causing spatiotemporal optical phase differences in the measurement arm of the interferometer that are processed to result in a representative image of the object.

A nanoscale bolometer for infrared (IR) thermal imaging comprises a subwavelength antenna that provides a specific detectivity approaching a fundamental, thermodynamic limit. The uncooled nanobolometer achieves performance comparable to cooled, high-performance, semiconductor photodetectors, but with significantly reduced size, weight, power, and cost.

A photodetection device includes a photodetection element and a package. The photodetection element includes a semiconductor substrate and a light absorption film. The light absorption film is provided on a region of at least a part of a region around a photodetection region on a principal surface of the semiconductor substrate. The light absorption film has a multi-layer structure including a light absorption layer, a resonance layer, and a reflection layer. At a wavelength of detection target light, a light transmittance inside the resonance layer is larger than a light transmittance inside the light absorption layer, and a light reflectance on a surface of the reflection layer is larger than a light reflectance on a surface of the resonance layer.

The present disclosure provides a sensing device including a substrate and a sensing pixel. The sensing pixel is disposed on the substrate and includes an electrode and a thermistor. The thermistor is electrically connected to the electrode and is separated from the substrate by an air gap. When the sensing pixel is operated in a period, the electrode receives a voltage, and a part of the thermistor moves toward the substrate, such that the thermistor is in thermal conduction with the substrate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bolometer thin film and an infrared sensor having a high TCR value, and a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, a bolometer material which is a thin film comprising semiconducting carbon nanotubes and a negative thermal expansion material, and an infrared sensor comprising the bolometer material are provided.

An infrared sensor includes: a package body; an infrared sensor chip mounted on a front surface of the package body; an outside cap made of metal, having a function of transmitting infrared light as a detection target for the infrared sensor chip, and attached to the package body such that the outside cap is in front of, and covers, the infrared sensor chip; an inside cap made of metal, having a function of transmitting the infrared light as the detection target for the infrared sensor chip, and disposed between the package body and the outside cap such that the inside cap is in front of, and covers the infrared sensor chip; and a ground terminal to be connected to external ground. The outside cap is electrically insulated from the inside cap and the infrared sensor chip. The inside cap is electrically connected to the ground terminal.

A microelectromechanical (MEMS) interferometer is provided. The MEMS interferometer includes a pair of movable mirrors that are positioned along perpendicular axes, wherein each of the pair of movable mirrors is coupled to a mechanism. The mechanism includes an electrostatic actuator driving a displacement amplification mechanism, and the displacement amplification mechanism driving each of the pair of the movable mirrors. The MEMS interferometer includes a beam splitter that is positioned at an intersection of the perpendicular axes extending through each movable mirror and the beam splitter. The MEMS interferometer also includes a metasurface microbolometer placed in line with the beam splitter to measure an intensity of a recombined beam from the pair of movable mirrors.

A system for advanced microbolometer performance is provided comprising an absorber element and a detector comprising a film coated on at least one side of the absorber element. The detector detects variation in temperature of the absorber element and changes electrical resistance in response to the detected variation. The film is an inorganic compound. The inorganic compound is αWNx comprising amorphous tungsten nitride. The absorber element varies temperature responsive to IR (infrared radiation) incident on the absorber element. The film is dangled over a readout integrated circuit (ROIC) at a height of two to three microns. The microbolometer further comprises electrodes coupled to a silicon substrate. The coupling of the electrodes to the substrate provides structural support for the dangled inorganic compound. The electrodes further provide electrical connectivity.

An absorber for absorbing electromagnetic radiation including a first layer with hydrogenated carbon, and a second layer with carbon, and the first layer is less absorbing than the second layer.