Patent ID: 8610070

Claim:
An uncooled infrared detector element, comprising: a substrate; a microbolometer pixel membrane structure configured to absorb infrared radiation, the microbolometer pixel membrane structure comprising a membrane material supported at a position spaced above the substrate; and a monolithically fabricated optical element suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure, the monolithically fabricated optical element being structurally attached by an optical element support interconnect to an electrically conductive interconnect of the detector element; wherein the membrane material comprises electrically conductive material; wherein the membrane material is supported at a position spaced above the substrate by at least two spaced electrically conductive interconnects; and wherein the monolithically fabricated optical element is suspended over and above the membrane material of the microbolometer pixel membrane structure by at least two optical element support interconnects that are at least partially aligned to and supported by the at least two electrically conductive interconnects.