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Low-cost low-power uncooled a-Si-based micro infrared camera for unattended ground sensor applications

1999; SPIE; Volume: 3713; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1117/12.357125

1996-756X

Thomas R. Schimert, David D. Ratcliff, John F. Brady, Steven J. Ropson, Roland W. Gooch, Bobbi Ritchey, P. McCardel, K. Rachels, Marty Wand, Martin Weinstein, John Wynn,

Infrared Target Detection Methodologies

Low power and low cost are primary requirements for an imaging infrared camera used in unattended ground sensor arrays. In this paper, an amorphous silicon (a-Si) microbolometer-based uncooled infrared camera technology offering a low cost, low power solution to infrared surveillance for UGS applications is presented. A 15 X 31 micro infrared camera (MIRC) has been demonstrated which exhibits an f/1 noise equivalent temperature difference sensitivity approximately 67 mK. This sensitivity has been achieved without the use of a thermoelectric cooler for array temperature stabilization thereby significantly reducing the power requirements. The chopperless camera is capable of operating from snapshot mode (1 Hz) to video frame rate (30 Hz). Power consumption of 0.4 W without display, and 0.75 W with display, respectively, has been demonstrated at 30 Hz operation. The 15 X 31 camera demonstrated exhibits a 35 mm camera form factor employing a low cost f/1 singlet optic and LED display, as well as low cost vacuum packaging. A larger 120 X 160 version of the MIRC is also in development and will be discussed. The 120 X 160 MIRC exhibits a substantially smaller form factor and incorporates all the low cost, low power features demonstrated in the 15 X 31 MIRC prototype. In this paper, a-Si microbolometer technology for the MIRC will be presented. Also, the key features and performance parameters of the MIRC are presented.