Method of making a reticulated temperature sensitive imaging device

A method of making a fully reticulated pyroelectric detector array, comprising the steps of:

• affixing a first major surface of a layer of poled pyroelectric material to a substrate;
• polishing a second major surface of the pyroelectric layer to reduce the layer to a predetermined thickness;
• depositing an electrically conductive electrode layer on the second major surface of the pyroelectric layer;
• selectively removing portions of the electrode layer to define a two dimensional array of front side electrodes on the pyroelectric layer;
• selectively removing portions of the pyroelectric layer to define a two dimensional array of pyroelectric detector elements on the substrate, with one of the front side electrodes disposed on the second major surface of each detector element;
• depositing a polymer layer over the arrays of front side electrodes and detector elements;
• selectively removing a portion of the polymer layer over each front side electrode to create a via to each front side electrode;
• removing the substrate;
• and
• depositing an electrically conductive radiation absorbing layer on the first major surface of each pyroelectric detector element.

A method of making a fully reticulated pyroelectric imager, comprising the steps of:

• affixing a first major surface of a layer of poled pyroelectric material to a substrate;
• polishing a second major surface of the pyroelectric layer to reduce the layer to a predetermined thickness;
• depositing an electrically conductive electrode layer on the second major surface of the pyroelectric layer;
• selectively removing portions of the electrode layer to define a two dimensional array of front side electrodes on the pyroelectric layer;
• selectively removing portions of the pyroelectric layer to define a two dimensional array of pyroelectric detector elements on the substrate, with one of the front side electrodes on the second major surface of each detector element;
• depositing a polymer layer over the arrays of front side electrodes and detector elements;
• selectively removing a portion of the polymer layer over each front side electrode to create a via to each front side electrode;
• depositing a two dimensional array of electrically conductive pads on the polymer layer such that each pad contacts a front side electrode through the corresponding via;
• mating the detector element array to a multiplexer chip by connecting each pad on the detector array to circuitry on the multiplexer chip;
• removing the substrate;
• and
• depositing an electrically conductive radiation absorbing layer on the first major surface of each pyroelectric detector element.