Elbit Systems of America, LLC

Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Itt Industries, Inc.

Eagle Technology, LLC

Exelis Inc.

Arlynn Walter Smith

Dan W Chilcott

Ransom Hal Castleberry

Warren David Vrescak

Raymond Leo Chabot

Mark Michalski

John A Balboni

Stephen W Carroll

Rudolph G Benz

Todd A Smith

Nils Ian Thomas

Roger S Sillmon

William Allen Smith

Thomas Theodore Mabry

John Barnett Hammond

Nelson Christopher DeVoe

Benjamin Ryan Brown

Rudolph George Benz

Steve David Rosine

Dan CHiLCOTT

Rudy G Benz

Nils L Thomas

A night vision system along with an image intensifier tube having a microchannel plate and method of forming the microchannel plate are provided. The microchannel plate comprises a plurality of spaced channels extending through the microchannel plate, wherein each channel sidewall surface near the input face of the microchannel plate comprises a series of layers formed thereon. The input face of the microchannel plate, as well as the sidewall surfaces of each channel near the input surfaces, are configured with an electron backscatter layer arranged between a contact metal layer and a secondary electron booster layer. When formed partially into the channel openings near the input face, the electron backscatter layer and overlying secondary electron booster layer are configured circumferentially around the sidewall surfaces and extend radially inward toward a central axis of each channel.

Microchannel plate and method of making the microchannel plate with an electron backscatter layer to amplify first strike electrons

A night vision system along with an image intensifier tube and method for forming the tube are provided. The night vision system incorporates the image intensifier tube in both an analog channel as well as a digital channel, with an addressable display within the analog image intensifier tube analog channel configured to create an electronically addressable output. An analog image intensifier tube is included in the digital imager for presenting binary digital signals representative of an image, or of symbol indicia, and registering those digital representation from the digital imager onto one or more electron multipliers of the analog image intensifier tube within the analog channel. The provided night vision system also utilizes a cathodoluminescent screen, which is a highly efficient light source that reduces system power.

Electronically addressable display incorporated into a transmission mode secondary electron image intensifier

A night vision system along with an image intensifier tube and method for shuttering the continued draw of electrons from an electron multiplier are provided. The night vision system includes the electron multiplier, or possibly two electron multipliers, each comprising a silicon membrane. A shutter voltage is applied between a first surface and a substantially parallel, opposed second surface of the silicon membrane to discontinue draw of electrons through the electron multiplier and for substantially discontinuing display of an image from the image intensifier tube under certain bright light conditions. Utilizing a global shutter control on the electron multiplier, and the significantly lower voltage for such control mitigates power consumption within the image intensifier, as well as electromagnetic interference and delay response time. A relatively low voltage negative bias shutter voltage on only the electron multiplier selectively provides global shutter to the image intensifier device.

Global shutter for transmission mode secondary electron intensifier by a low voltage signal

A method of controlling the performance of a night vision device includes supplying, by a power supply, to a microchannel plate of a light intensifier tube, a control voltage that controls a gain of the microchannel plate, determining an amount of compensation to apply to the control voltage based on a change to the control voltage attributed to a change in temperature of an operating environment of the night vision device, adjusting the control voltage in accordance with the amount of compensation to obtain a compensated control voltage, and supplying, by the power supply, the compensated control voltage to the microchannel plate of the light intensifier tube. The method may further include determining whether the night vision device has been used for a predetermined amount of time, and only after that predetermined amount of time, is the method configured to supply the compensated control voltage.

Usage and temperature compensation of performance parameters for night vision device

An apparatus, system and method is provided for producing stacked wafers containing an array of image intensifiers that can be evacuated on a wafer scale. The wafer scale fabrication techniques, including bonding, evacuation, and compression sealing concurrently forms a plurality of EBCMOS imager anodes with design elements that enable high voltage operation with optional enhancement of additional gain via TMSE amplification. The TMSE amplification is preferably one or more multiplication semiconductor wafers of an array of EBD die placed between a photocathode within a photocathode wafer and an imager anode that is preferably an EBCMOS imager anode bonded to or integrated within an interconnect die within an interconnect wafer.

Wafer scale enhanced gain electron bombarded CMOS imager

A method of processing a double sided wafer of a microelectromechanical device includes spinning a resist onto a first side of a first wafer. The method further includes forming pathways within the resist to expose portions of the first side of the first wafer. The method also includes etching one or more depressions in the first side of the first wafer through the pathways, where each of the depressions have a planar surface and edges. Furthermore, the method includes depositing one or more adhesion metals over the resist such that the one or more adhesion metals are deposited within the depressions, and then removing the resist from the first wafer. The method finally includes depositing indium onto the adhesion metals deposited within the depressions and bonding a second wafer to the first wafer by compressing the indium between the second wafer and the first wafer.

Method for forming hermetic seals in MEMS devices

A light intensifier includes a semiconductor structure to multiply electrons and block stray particles. A thin gain substrate layer includes an electron multiplier region that is doped to generate a plurality of electrons for each electron that impinges on an input surface of the gain substrate layer and blocking structures that are doped to direct the plurality of electrons towards emission areas of an emission surface of the gain substrate layer. Respective ribs of a first plurality of ribs on the input surface of the gain substrate layer are vertically aligned with respective blocking structures, and respective blocking structures are vertically aligned with respective ribs of a second plurality of ribs at the emission surface. This alignment directs electrons along a path through the gain substrate layer to reduce noise. The support ribs provide mechanical strength to the gain substrate layer, improving robustness of the light intensifier while minimizing noise.

Image intensifier with thin layer transmission layer support structures

A method of controlling the performance of a night vision device includes storing, in memory of the night vision device, a plurality of performance configuration parameters, and after the storing, applying at least one of a hardware lock and a software lock to the night vision device such that at least some of the plurality of performance configuration parameters stored in the memory cannot be changed.

Programmable performance configurations for night vision device

A phosphor screen for a Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) image intensifier includes a wafer structure, a lattice of interior walls, a thin film phosphor layer, and a reflective metal layer. The wafer structure has a naturally opaque top layer and an active area defined within the naturally opaque top layer. The lattice of interior walls is formed, within the active area, from the naturally opaque top layer. The thin film phosphor layer is disposed in the active area, between the lattice of interior walls. The reflective metal layer that is disposed atop the thin film phosphor layer. In at least some instances, the thin film phosphor layer is a non-particle phosphor layer.

Phosphor screen for MEMS image intensifiers

A method of manufacturing a multi-layer image intensifier wafer includes fabricating first and second glass wafers, each having an array of cavities that extend between respective openings in first and second surfaces of the respective glass wafer; doping a semiconductor wafer to generate a plurality of electrons for each electron that impinges a first surface of the semiconductor wafer and to direct the plurality of electrons to a second surface of the semiconductor wafer, bonding a photo-cathode wafer to the first glass wafer; bonding the semiconductor wafer between the first and second glass wafers, and bonding the second glass wafer between the semiconductor wafer and an anode wafer (e.g., a phosphor screen or other electron detector). A section of the multi-layer image intensifier wafer may be sliced and evacuated to provide a multi-layer image intensifier.

Wafer scale image intensifier

A light intensifier includes a semiconductor structure to multiply electrons and block stray particles (e.g., photons and/or ions). The semiconductor structure includes an electron multiplier region that is doped to generate a plurality of electrons for each electron that impinges a reception surface of the semiconductor structure, blocking regions that are doped to direct the plurality of electrons towards emissions areas of an emission surface of the semiconductor structure, and shielding regions that are doped to absorb stray particles that impinge the emission surface of the semiconductor structure.

Image intensifier with stray particle shield

Methods and systems to intensify an image, such as in a night vision apparatus, include a semi-conductor structure that includes a first region that is doped to generate a plurality of electrons and corresponding holes for each electron that impinges a reception surface of the semi-conductor structure, a second region that is doped to attract the holes, an electrically conductive region to output the holes from the second region, and a third region that is doped to restrict a flow of the holes from the second region to the electrically conductive region such that some of the holes will combine with some of the plurality of electrons within the first region. The first region further includes an emission area from which to emit remaining ones of the plurality of electrons.

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Blue Ridge, VA, United States of America

Arlynn Walter Smith