Texas Instruments Corporation

Drs Technologies, Inc.

Kevin N Sweetser

Howard R Beratan

Robert A Owen

Kirk D Peterson

Dana Dudley

Charles M Hanson

Edward G Meissner

William K Walker

Steven E Frank

This is a monolithic infrared detector readout circuit for a capacitive sensing element 111 wherein a high gain preamplifier 115 is biased by a large bias element 113, e.g. on the order of 10.sup.12 ohms. The output of the preamplifier 115 is a band-limited by a low pass single-pole filter 117 having a high value resistive element 119, e.g. on the order of 10.sup.9 ohms, and then is clamped by a clamp circuit 131 to a stable reference in a manner that doubles the amplitude of the signal and minimizes low frequency bias shifts and fixed pattern noise. The output of the clamp circuit 131 is buffered by buffer 123 prior to being multiplexed by row address signals. The output from a multiplex switch 125 is then applied to the column line for output to a video circuit or the like.

Focal plane array integrated circuit with individual pixel signal

This is a monolithic infrared detector readout circuit for a capacitive sensing element 111 wherein a high gain preamplifier 115 is biased by a large bias element 113, e.g. on the order of 10.sup.12 ohms. The output of the preamplifier 115 is band-limited by a low pass single-pole filter 117 having a high value resistive element 119, e.g. on the order of 10.sup.9 ohms, and then is clamped by a clamp circuit 131 to a stable reference in a manner that doubles the amplitude of the signal and minimizes low frequency bias shifts and fixed pattern noise. The output of the clamp circuit 131 is buffered by buffer 123 prior to being multiplexed by row address signals. The output from a multiplex switch 125 is then applied to the column line for output to a video circuit or the like.

A hybrid thermal detector and method for producing same where the optical coating 32 of the hybrid thermal detector has elongated parallel thermal isolation stots 62 along one axis. The elongated parallel slots 62 improve the acuity, or MTF of the resultant image produced by the detector along one axis. The optical coating 32 may be corrugated, or elevated, in order to add structural support and allow mechanical compliance along the axis of the slots.

Thermal crosstalk reduction for infrared detectors with common electrodes

Thermal imaging system (10) includes a focal plane array (18) having pixels (20). Signals produced by pixels (20) are addressed by integrated circuit substrate (22) and passed to video processor (24). Video processor (24) includes, among other modules, a detection and substitution module (28) that detects defective pixels (21) and substitutes the signals produced by defective pixels (21). The detection and substitution of signals produced by defective pixels (21) may be performed while viewing the thermal scene (12) or while stimulating pixels (20) with a stimulus. A thermal stimulus may be generated by a thermoelectric cooler (50) thermally coupled to integrated circuit substrate (22) and focal plane array (18). An electrical stimulus to identify defective pixels (21) may also be delivered to pixels (20) of focal plane array (18).

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Garland, TX, United States of America

Kevin N Sweetser