Patent ID: 6888141
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: G01J,G01K,H01L

Abstract:
1. A radiation sensor with thermal gain comprising: a microplatform including a pyro-optical film positioned above and thermally isolated from a substrate; a first source of low level radiation incident upon the microplatform and partially absorbed causing an incremental heating of said film; a second source of high level radiation comprised of a photonic beam incident on said film and partially absorbed heating the microplatform to a quiescent temperature; wherein the temperature coefficient of absorption of said second source increases with the temperature of said pyro-optical film; wherein an introduction of the first incremental heating causes the absorption of the second source to increase the temperature of the pyro-optical film with a second incremental heating that is greater than the first incremental heating; and a detector monitoring the intensity of the photonic beam exiting the sensor platform thereby providing an output signal measurement representative of the amount of low level radiation incident on the sensor and enhanced by the further incremental heating effect from the second source thereby providing photo-thermal gain in the microplatform structure.