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Developments in uncooled IR technology at BAE SYSTEMS

2001; SPIE; Volume: 4369; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1117/12.445297

1996-756X

Mark N. Gurnee, Margaret Kohin, Richard J. Blackwell, Neal Butler, Jason T. Whitwam, Brian S. Backer, Arthur R. Leary, Thomas Nielson,

CCD and CMOS Imaging Sensors

Uncooled microbolometer thermal imaging sensor technology has begun to successfully address military, government and commercial applications in the real world. BAE SYSTEMS, located in Lexington MA, has been involved in the design and development of uncooled IR technology since the early 1980s. Our current MicroIR TM products are based on vanadium oxide (VO x ) microbolometers. Thousands of uncooled microbolometer thermal imaging sensors are now being produced and sold annually. A the same time, applied research and development on the technology continues to improve the basic products and make them suitable for new applications. In this paper we report on the status and improvements achieved in the MicroIR TM product line, based on 320 X 240 element and 160 X 120 element FPA's with 46 μm pixel pitch. Other near term MicroIR TM products include 320 X 240 and 640 X 480 FPA's with 28 micrometers pixel pitch and measured sensitivities below 50 mK. In the systems area we discuss development and testing of a Light Thermal Weapon Sight (LTWS) for the U.S. Army, being developed by BAE SYSTEMS in partnership with Thales, based upon our uncooled MicroIR TM focal plane arrays (FPA) and systems. The LTWS prototypes were based upon our Standard Imaging Module SIM200, which employs our LAM2C, 320 X 240 element, microbolometer FPA. Finally we discuss the 480 X 640 element FPA and its application to the Heavy Thermal Weapon Sight application.