Patent ID: 7825381

Claim:
A micromechanical pixel comprising: (a) a sensing element including an optical reflector and an infrared absorber layer disposed in a layered and contacting arrangement or separated by the distance equal to approximately one-quarter or multiple thereof of an infrared wavelength of interest so as to form an optical absorption cavity, said reflector layer comprised of a single metal layer or a pair of metal layers disposed about and contacting a dielectric layer; (b) a pair of bending elements each attached at a first end to said sensing element, each said bending element composed of two multi-layer cantilevers separated by a thermal isolation region, each said multi-layer cantilever comprised of a low expansion layer and a high expansion layer, said bending elements mutually responsive when heated; and (c) a substrate comprised of a material that is transmissive to the visible or near-infrared optical readout wavelength, a second end of each said bending element attached to said substrate.