Patent ID: 7825379

Claim:
A thermal-type infrared image sensing device comprising: pixel elements, being two-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate, each pixel element having: a first detector for detecting temperature, a first infrared-light absorber, supported above the first detector apart therefrom through a first connector thereon, for absorbing incident infrared light and converting the light into heat, and a first support for supporting the first detector apart from the semiconductor substrate; and reference-pixel elements, arranged adjacent to and along a row of the pixel elements two-dimensionally arranged, each for generating a reference signal to be a reference for a signal generated by each of the pixel elements, the reference-pixel elements each having: a second detector identical to the first detector, a second support identical to the first support and for supporting the second detector to be positioned apart from the semiconductor substrate, and a light reflector for shielding the second detector from incident infrared light, the light reflector being a part of a layer deposited on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and being supported above the second detector apart therefrom such that an empty space is provided between a top surface of the second detector and a bottom surface of the light reflector.