US 2006/0076493 A1Published application

Focal plane antenna to sensor interface for an ultra-sensitive silicon sensor

AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation

InventorNathan Bluzer

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Abstract

An electrical interface between a scene to be imaged and a bolometer type sensor is disclosed. Efficiency is improved by means of a thermal energy concentrator including a lens and an antenna. Where a plurality of bolometer pixels are located in an array, a microantenna is provided for each pixel in the array with a common lens being provided to focus and channel incoming radiation to each microantenna. Radiation from a scene is further coupled by means of a lens and microantenna to the absorbing element of each bolometer through an AC coupling circuit including an electronic chopper implemented by means of a PIN diode, the conductivity of which is varied so as to affect the reflection coefficient of the input signal supplied through the microantenna.

Claims40

Dependent claims

An electromagnetic radiation sensor assembly, comprising:

at least one bolometer type sensor located in a detector sub-assembly and including a thermally responsive sensing element co-located with and in thermal contact with a thermal absorber element;
a sub-assembly including an antenna for receiving incident radiant energy from a remote source of electromagnetic radiation;
one or more elements for maximizing the energy between the remote source of electromagnetic energy and the thermal absorber element;
a circuit for providing electrical coupling and thermal isolation of the radiant energy from the antenna element to the thermal absorber element;
wherein the thermally responsive sensing element senses the temperature change in the absorber element;
and
readout circuitry for providing an output signal of the temperature sensed by said sensing element.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/239,275Filed 30 Sep 2005
Priority: 1 Oct 2004
Published: 13 Apr 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01J 5/08
Constructional details: optical arrangements
G01J 5/0837
Optical arrangements: microantennas, e.g. bow-tie
G01J 5/20
Using electric radiation detectors: using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
G01J 5/22
Using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices: electrical features thereof

Family

Application60/614,472Us provisional application · filed 1 Oct 2004
US 7,253,412 B2Related patent
US 2006/0076493 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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