A thermopile sensor array for monitoring radiation, the thermopile sensor array comprising: a semiconductor substrate comprising a four sided silicon frame; a shared support membrane positioned on the frame formed by the semiconductor substrate; wherein the shared support membrane is suspended over a cavity; and wherein the shared support membrane provides structural support for a plurality of thermopiles (107, 117, 118) arranged in parallel to two cold end-frame edges arranged on opposite sides of the frame, on the shared support membrane and semiconductor substrate, wherein a first portion of each of the plurality of thermopiles is in contact with the shared support membrane, and wherein a second portion of each of the plurality of thermopiles is in contact with the semiconductor substrate on the two opposite sides of the frame orthogonal to the cold end-frame edges; and one or more absorbers thermally coupled to each of the plurality of thermopiles, wherein each of the plurality of thermopiles is operable to generate a voltage in response to receiving radiation from the one or more absorbers, the voltage corresponding to the amount of received radiation, wherein each of the plurality of thermopiles comprises a plurality of thermocouple legs being electrically coupled in series, wherein the shared support membrane is a single continuous membrane, wherein an outermost thermopile of the plurality of thermopiles is arranged next to and oriented parallel to one cold end-frame edge of the frame along the shared support membrane, and a distance between the one cold end-frame edge of the shared support membrane and the outermost thermopile is at least 100 μm and up to 200μm. a semiconductor substrate comprising a four sided silicon frame; a shared support membrane positioned on the frame formed by the semiconductor substrate; wherein the shared support membrane is suspended over a cavity; and wherein the shared support membrane provides structural support for a plurality of thermopiles (107, 117, 118) arranged in parallel to two cold end-frame edges arranged on opposite sides of the frame, on the shared support membrane and semiconductor substrate, wherein a first portion of each of the plurality of thermopiles is in contact with the shared support membrane, and wherein a second portion of each of the plurality of thermopiles is in contact with the semiconductor substrate on the two opposite sides of the frame orthogonal to the cold end-frame edges; and one or more absorbers thermally coupled to each of the plurality of thermopiles, wherein each of the plurality of thermopiles is operable to generate a voltage in response to receiving radiation from the one or more absorbers, the voltage corresponding to the amount of received radiation, wherein each of the plurality of thermopiles comprises a plurality of thermocouple legs being electrically coupled in series, wherein the shared support membrane is a single continuous membrane, wherein an outermost thermopile of the plurality of thermopiles is arranged next to and oriented parallel to one cold end-frame edge of the frame along the shared support membrane, and a distance between the one cold end-frame edge of the shared support membrane and the outermost thermopile is at least 100 μm and up to 200μm.