Linear microbolometer arrays for space and terrestrial imaging

Timothy Pope; Alain Bergeron; Pascal Bourqui; Christine Alain; Fraser Williamson; Hubert Jerominek; Carol Grenier; Bruno Tremblay; Felix Cayer; Sylvain Garant; Linh Ngo Phong

doi:10.1117/12.667204

17 May 2006 Linear microbolometer arrays for space and terrestrial imaging

Timothy Pope, Alain Bergeron, Pascal Bourqui, Christine Alain, Fraser Williamson, Hubert Jerominek, Carol Grenier, Bruno Tremblay, Felix Cayer, Sylvain Garant, Linh Ngo Phong

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6206, Infrared Technology and Applications XXXII; 62061P (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.667204
Event: Defense and Security Symposium, 2006, Orlando (Kissimmee), Florida, United States

Abstract

Linear detector array formats are suitable for applications where relative motion between the detector and scene provides an intrinsic scanning mechanism, such as industrial inspection systems and satellite-based earth and planetary observation. The linear array format facilitates the introduction readout features not available in 2-D formats and when combined with low cost packaging approaches reduces sensor cost. We present two linear uncooled detector arrays based on VO_x microbolometer technology and integrated CMOS readout electronics. The IRL256B is a linear array of 256 detectors on a 52 μm pitch. It includes a parallel array of 256 reference detectors to provide coarse offset correction and substrate temperature drift compensation. The IRL512A consists of 3 parallel lines of 512 pixels on a 39 μm pitch. It is particularly well suited to multi-spectral pushbroom imaging applications. Each pixel includes active and reference detectors to reduce pixel offset, eliminate common mode power supply noise and increase immunity to chip temperature drift. All pixels are integrated in parallel and the data are output in 14-bit digital format on three parallel output buses. The microbolometer detector design can be customized for selected wavelength ranges from NIR to VLWIR. The IRL256B has been integrated in industrial thermal line-scan imagers and spectrometers and may also be employed in uncooled airborne imaging and scanned surveillance or inspection systems. The IRL512A has been selected as the baseline detector for a number of future earth observation satellite missions.

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Timothy Pope, Alain Bergeron, Pascal Bourqui, Christine Alain, Fraser Williamson, Hubert Jerominek, Carol Grenier, Bruno Tremblay, Felix Cayer, Sylvain Garant, and Linh Ngo Phong "Linear microbolometer arrays for space and terrestrial imaging", Proc. SPIE 6206, Infrared Technology and Applications XXXII, 62061P (17 May 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.667204

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