Imaging in curved arrays: methods to produce free-formed curved detectors
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsTodd J. Jones, Shouleh Nikzad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A detector including a detector membrane comprising a semiconductor sensor and a readout circuit, the detector membrane having a thickness of 100 micrometers or less and a curved surface conformed to a curved focal plane of an optical system imaging electromagnetic radiation onto the curved surface; and a mount attached to a backside of the detector membrane. A maximum of the strain experienced by the detector membrane is reduced by distribution of the strain induced by formation of the curved surface across all of the curved surface of the detector membrane, thereby allowing an increased radius of curvature of the curved surface as compared to without the distribution.
Claims14
A method of making a curved detector, comprising:
- obtaining a detector membrane comprising a semiconductor having a thickness less than 100 microns;
- applying one or more forces at a plurality of locations on the detector membrane and in one or more directions, the one or more forces deforming the detector membrane so as to form a curved surface of the detector membrane, wherein:
- the forces applied in one direction are applied a frictionless manner with no friction between the detector membrane and the actuator applying the forces, or
- when the one or more directions include a plurality of directions, the directions include one or more lateral directions in a tangential plane of a surface of the detector membrane;
- progressively attaching the detector membrane to a mount as the forces are applied so that the mount sustains or supports a majority of the strain, wherein the detector membrane is adhered to an adhesive on a surface of the mount, the surface having the desired/designed/target radius of curvature of the curved surface.
An apparatus, comprising:
- an actuator having structures positioned to apply one or more forces at a plurality of locations on the detector membrane and in one or more directions, the one or more forces deforming the detector membrane so as to form a curved surface of the detector membrane, wherein:
- the forces applied in one direction are applied a frictionless manner with no friction between the detector membrane and the actuator applying the forces, or
- when the one or more directions include a plurality of directions, the directions include one or more lateral directions in a tangential plane of a surface of the detector membrane;
- and
- a mount positioned to progressively attach to the detector membrane as the forces are applied so that the mount sustains or supports a majority of a strain induced in the detector membrane by the forces, wherein the detector membrane is attached to a surface of the mount having a radius of the curved surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.