Electromagnetic radiation detectors having a micromachined electrostatic chopper device

An electromagnetic radiation detector having an electrostatically driven MEMS chopper device, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a thermal isolation bridge disposed on said substrate;
• a first electrode layer disposed on said thermal isolation bridge;
• a detector material layer overlying on said thermal isolation bridge and in electrical contact with said first electrode layer;
• a second electrode layer overlying said thermal isolation bridge, electrically isolated from said first electrode layer and in electrical contact with said detector material layer;
• and
• a flexible film actuator overlying the detector material layer and having a third electrode layer and at least one biasing layer, the actuator having a fixed portion attached to an underlying surface and a distal portion movable with respect to the second electrode layer.

An electromagnetic radiation detector having an electrostatically driven MEMS chopper device, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a thermal isolation bridge disposed on said substrate;
• a first electrode layer disposed on said thermal isolation bridge;
• a detector material layer overlying on said thermal isolation bridge and in electrical contact with said first electrode layer;
• a second electrode layer overlying said thermal isolation bridge, electrically isolated from said first electrode layer and in electrical contact with said detector material layer;
• a support structure disposed on the substrate;
• a transparent substrate attached to the support structure;
• a transparent third electrode layer disposed on the transparent substrate;
• and
• a flexible film actuator overlying the transparent third electrode and the detector material layer, the flexible film actuator having a fourth electrode layer and at least one biasing layer, a fixed portion attached to the transparent substrate and a distal portion movable with respect to the third electrode layer.

An electromagnetic radiation detector array having an electrostatically driven microelectromechanical system (MEMS) chopper array, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a plurality of detector pixels supported by said substrate, said detector pixels comprising:
• a detector material layer;
• and
• first and second electrodes in electrical contact with said detector material layer;
• and
• a plurality of flexible film actuators, each actuator overlying said detector material layer of a corresponding detector pixel and moveable relative thereto to alternately allow passage of radiation to said detector material layer and block passage of radiation to said detector material layer.

A method for pixel modulation in an electromagnetic radiation detector array, the method comprising:

• providing for a plurality of electrostatically activated flexible film actuators, each actuator corresponding to one or more detector pixels in an electromagnetic radiation detector array;
• pulsing one or more flexible film actuators to block passage of electromagnetic radiation and to allow passage of electromagnetic radiation to the one or more detector pixels corresponding to the flexible film actuator;
• causing a temperature change in the one or more detector pixels as a result of the pulsing of the corresponding flexible film actuator;
• changing an electrical property of the one or more detector pixels as a result of the temperature change in one or more detector pixels;
• and
• generating a read-out current as a result of the change in the electrical property of the one or more detector pixels.