LINEAR BOLOMETER ARRAYS FOR INFRARED SPECTROMETERS

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP LINEAR ARRAYS OF BOLOMETER ELEMENTS FOR USE AS UNCOOLED DETECTORS IN INFRARED SPECTROMETERS. THE ARRAYS WILL INCORPORATE RECENTLY-DEVELOPED THIN FILMS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE-COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE AND BE FABRICATED USING LITHOGRAPHIC AND ION-MILLING TECHNIQUES. THE ARRAYS WILL CONTAIN 1000 OR MORE ELEMENTS TO OBTAIN GOOD RESOLUTION IN THE 4000-400 CM-1 RANGE. ELEMENT DETECTIVITY WILL BE COMPARABLE TO THAT PRESENTLY OBTAINABLE WITH SINGLE-ELEMENT UNCOOLED DETECTORS. INCORPORATION OF THESE ARRAYS IN IR SPECTROMETERS OFFERS THE POTENTIAL OF DEVELOPING INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH MAJOR OPTICAL COMPONENTS ARESTATIONARY. ADVANTAGES INCLUDE HIGH MEASUREMENT SPEED, RUGGEDNESS AND REDUCED COST.