Multilayered slant-angle thin film energy detector

Abstract

A detector of thermal energy is composed of an insulating substrate such as glass or sapphire coated with a thin film deposit of a slant-angle deposited metal preferably a transition element such as Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Ta, W, U, Os, Ir, Pt and Mb exhibiting a transverse thermoelectric effect in response to a thermal energy gradient normal to the plane of the deposit. A layer of an electrical insulating material which is thermally conductive is deposited upon the thin film deposit, using materials such as SiO.sub.2, SiO, perylene, etc. Another thin film deposit of a slant-angle film is deposited on top of the insulating material. A stack of alternate slant-angle thermoelectric elements and electrical insulating layers is formed to a depth at which the thermal gradient in the lowest slant-angle deposit is marginally advantageous. An input light, laser or other heat producing beam is applied to the upper layer of the stack. Alternatively, heat can also be applied to the lower surface through a transparent substrate producing interfacial heating. Heat leaks into other film layers producing a substantial thermal gradient and hence, a thermoelectric transverse voltage in each of the metal films. The layers are interconnected electrically.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.