S. R. Manalis, S. C. Minne, C. F. Quate, G. G. Yaralioglu, and A. Atalar, "Two dimensional micromechanical bimorph arrays for detection of thermal radiation," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 70, no. 24, 3311-3313 (1997).


Description:

Two-dimensional arrays of micromechanical bimorphs can be used as thermal sensors to image infrared (IR) radiation. A bimorph is an object made of two different materials, that bends when it is heated, like a thermostat.  A density of 100 pixels per mm² is achieved by coiling a bimorph beam into the shape of a flat spiral (distance between spiral centers is ~100µm). Temperature variations of a given spiral are converted to modulations of visible light by illuminating the spiral array with a visible source. When a spiral is heated through the absorption of IR radiation, thermally induced bending of the bimorph spiral degrades the focusing. This reduces the optical intensity at the focal point. Arrays of spirals can be monitored with a commercial CCD camera. This allows the IR to to be imaged without complicated electronics attached to the sensors.

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