Antenna-coupled infrared focal plane array

Uncooled bolometric detectors used in infrared-imaging systems have slow time constants (similar to 15 ms), which makes them impractical for fast-frame-rate applications. Antenna-coupled microbolometers are fast uncooled detectors with good sensitivity and directivity, and they can be polarization and wavelength selective. These detectors have collection areas in the order of 10 mu m(2), which are too small for infrared imaging systems where a typical pixel area ranges from 20 X 20 mu m(2) to 50 X 50 mu m(2). To solve this problem, 2D arrays of antenna-coupled detectors, which can be used as pixels in infrared-imaging systems, are fabricated. In this paper, antenna-coupled pixels are fabricated on a commercial readout integrated circuit (ROIC), resulting in the first antenna-coupled infrared focal plane array (IR-FPA). Measurements made on this antenna-coupled infrared focal plane array show that the integration of antenna-coupled detectors to a commercial ROIC is possible. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals Inc.