Infrared vision using uncooled micro-optomechanical camera

Abstract

This letter presents the design, fabrication, and imaging results of an uncooled infrared (IR) camera that contains a focal plane array of bimaterial microcantilever sensors, and an optical readout technique that measures cantilever deflections in the nanometer range to directly project a visible image of the IR scene on the human eye or a visible camera. The results suggest that objects at temperatures as low as 100 °C can be imaged with the best noise-equivalent temperature difference (NEΔT) in the range of 10 K. It is estimated that further improvements that are currently being pursued can improve NEΔT to about 50 mK.