Binary optical microlens detector array

A binary optical microlens detector array for detecting radiation, comprising:

• an uncooled microbolometer detector array having a plurality of detectors, wherein each detector is contiguous to neighboring detectors in said uncooled microbolometer detector array, and each detector has an active area sensitive to radiation and an inactive area insensitive to radiation, and has a fill factor which is a ratio of the active area to the inactive area plus the active area;
• and
• a plurality of binary optical microlenses set in an array attached to said uncooled microbolometer detector array so that each microlens serves as a field lens for each detector of said plurality of detectors so as to effectively increase the fill factor of the uncooled microbolometer detector array to nearly 100 percent thereby increasing sensitivity and range of said uncooled microbolometer detector array, and wherein each microlens has a plurality of discrete steps of gradation.