Micromachined Infrared Sensors on Flexible Substrates

自动化系统的日益复杂使得执行更复杂的无人驾驶任务成为可能。然而，机器人仪器缺乏与人类相同的方式感知环境并与之互动的能力。同时，操作远程仪器的人类受到他们在自己的活动中习惯的“缺乏感觉”的限制。机器人仪器目前使用本地化传感器来测量它们的环境。这是由于微电子设备的僵化所致。最近，在柔性衬底、聚合物半导体和薄膜晶体管方面出现了创新。PIS建议调查柔性皮肤的开发，这种皮肤结合了分布式单片传感器阵列，以提供对环境的更大测量。微机械传感器能够测量压力、流量、温度和辐射能量。这项研究将集中在聚合物衬底或“人造皮肤”表面上开发微机械传感器。PLS将利用微机械红外微测辐射热计和热发射器作为试验台，开发与广泛应用基础相关的柔性聚合物基板上的微机械加工技术。在柔性皮肤表面集成分布式凝视微测辐射热计阵列，可以让机器人远程测量温度，避免可能造成损害的高温物体。以毫米间距间隔的分布式探测器阵列将提供类似昆虫的视觉。可以跟踪热物体(如人)的运动。微透镜光学探测器将测量光学辐射通量；薄膜参考温度计将测量衬底(皮肤)温度，而热发射器将用于显示目的，或与探测器阵列和栅格相结合，以产生微型光谱仪。弯曲的能力将允许设备被结合并分布在符合要求的表面上，例如人类和机器的手套织物，为操作员提供远程触觉和温度感觉，无论是在接触中还是在皮肤附近。此外，使用这些微型光谱仪还可以进行化学分析。使用柔性衬底的可穿戴式红外光谱仪将允许人们监测血糖和胰岛素水平等生理参数，扫描细菌剂和有毒气体。

The increasing sophistication of automated systems has allowed more complex unmanned tasks to be performed. However, robotic instruments lack the ability to perceive and interact with their environment in the same way humans can. Simultaneously, humans operating remote instruments are limited by the "lack of feel" they are accustomed to in their own activity. Robotic instruments currently use localized-sensors to measure their environment. This has been necessitated by the inflexibility of microelectronic devices. Recently innovations in flexible substrates, polymer semiconductors, and thin film transistors have occurred. The PIs propose to investigate the development of a flexible skin that incorporates distributed monolithic sensor arrays to provide a greater measurement of the environment. Micromachined sensors are capable of measuring pressure, flow, temperature, and radiant energy. This investigation will focus on the development of micromachined sensors over the surface of a polymer substrate or "artificial skin". The Pls will utilize micromachined infrared microbolometers and thermal emitters as a test bed towards the development of micromachining techniques on flexible polymer substrates that are relevant to a broad base of applications. Integrating distributed, staring microbolometer arrays over the surface of a flexible skin can allow a robot to remotely measure temperature and avoid hot objects that can cause damage. The distributed arrays of detectors spaced with a millimeter pitch will provide "insect-like" vision. The motion of hot objects such as people can be tracked. Microlensed optical detectors will measure the optical radiation flux; thin film reference thermometers will measure the substrate (skin) temperature, while the thermal emitters will be used for display purposes or may be combined with detector arrays and gratings to produce a micro-spectrometer. The ability to flex would allow the devices to be incorporated and distributed over compliant surfaces such as the fabric of gloves for humans and machines to provide operators a remote sense of touch and feel of temperature both in-contact and in-proximity to the skin. In addition, chemical analysis is possible using these micro-spectrometers. Wearable infrared spectrometers using flexible substrates would allow people to monitor physiological parameters such as glucose and insulin levels, scan for bacteriological agents and toxic gases.