High-resolution thermopile infrared sensor array

A high-resolution thermopile infrared sensor array having pixels arranged in at least 16 rows and 16 columns and monolithic integrated signal processing on a sensor chip (SP),

• having a plurality of parallel signal processing channels (K1 . . . KN) for signals of the pixels (SE) of the sensor array (TPA),
• and a digital port (DIO) for a signal output of the pixels (SE),
• each signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN) having at least one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and one low-pass filter (TPF),
• wherein for each signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN) a storage area in a memory (RAM) is present for storing results of the at least one analog-to-digital converter (ADC),
• wherein in the sensor array (TPA) at least one pixel (SE) is connected to a signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN),
• wherein the number of the signal processing channels (K1 . . . KN) is at least 4 times the number of rows,
• wherein one portion of the signal processing channels (K1 . . . KN) is arranged in an intermediate space between the pixels (SE) and another portion of the signal processing channels (K1 . . . KN) is arranged in an outer edge area of the sensor chip (SP) surrounding the sensor array (TPA) together with other electronics,
• wherein for each signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN) with a number of pixels (SE) a>1 a signal multiplexer (MUX) is provided for selecting the pixels (SP) of the sensor array (TPA) assigned to the signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN),
• wherein the at least one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) associated with each signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN) has a resolution of at least 10 bits, and
• wherein the low-pass filtering with the low-pass filter (TPF), to limit a noise bandwidth, is carried out with a cutoff frequency which is less than three times the value of the product of frame rate of the thermopile infrared sensor array (TPA) and a number of pixels per signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN).