Drs Sensors & Targeting Systems, Inc.

Philip Earl Howard

Adrian Ionescu

A pixel structure, which forms one element of a focal plane array, includes a bolometer having a detector and an insulator. The detector that is made from a material that absorbs incident thermal radiation and has an electrical resistance that varies in response to changes in the temperature of the material. The insulator has a plurality of serpentine legs disposed completely underneath the detector so that the insulator extends between the detector and the substrate. And the insulator supports the detector in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to the substrate to thermally isolate the detector from the substrate. To further improve the performance of the bolometer, the bolometer includes a resonant layer between the detector and the insulator. The resonant layer is disposed such that areas defined between the detector and the resonant layer, and between the resonant layer and the insulator, form first and second resonant cavities, respectively.

Pixel structure and an associated method of fabricating the same

A system and method are provided for use with an uncooled infrared sensor. The system and method include a temperature compensated performance algorithm which is utilized to provide temperature compensated response and offset correction coefficients which are applied to a video signal of the infrared sensor to correct for variations in the video signal caused by temperature changes of the sensor.

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Hacienda Heights, CA, United States of America

Philip Earl Howard