Ferroelectric imaging system

Abstract

An improved ferroelectric imaging system comprises a chopper, lens system, ferroelectric detector matrix, switching matrix, drive and readout electronics, video processor and display. The chopper interrupts infrared energy emanating from a scene, and the lens system focuses the chopped infrared energy on the ferroelectric detector matrix which produces electrical signals representative of the impinging infrared energy. The signals are read out by the drive and read out electronics whose action is synchronized with the chopper action, processed in the video processor and displayed by the display. The ferroelectric matrix comprises a plurality of detector capacitor elements fabricated by forming a metal surface on the upper surface of a dielectric of ferroelectric material and a plurality of metal pads arranged in rows and columns on its lower surface. Said metal plate forming the upper plates for the capacitors and the metal pads forming the lower plates. The upper plate is connected to busbars for biasing. The switching matrix includes a plurality of solid state switches arranged in rows and columns. The switches have elements operatively connected to the lower plates of the detector capacitor elements, a sense line for each row, and x and y address lines of the drive and readout electronics. The drive and readout electronics action is synchronized with the chopper action to provide the sense line with a signal representative of the infrared energy impinging sequentially on each detector capacitor element for processing and display.