SBIR Phase I: THz Imaging Focal Plane Array

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目致力于太赫兹成像焦平面阵列的发展。 探测器是薄的悬臂带，其物理特性随温度变化。研究目标包括建模和设计的杠杆，评估光学与电子辐照度读出，最大限度地提高辐照度吸收的手段，和技术的图像阵列读出。 这些目标将在第二阶段生产功能阵列的框架内实现。 从早期的工作中的热红外线，探测器阵列预计是非常敏感的相比，现有的测辐射热计，响应时间允许高帧速率，高像素数，和高分辨率（像素数）的成像阵列的发展。 太赫兹辐射成像提供了X射线的许多好处，而没有电离辐射。太赫兹成像光谱学为选择性成像和识别复杂化学物种提供了一种新的非常强大的工具。 具有高像素数、高灵敏度和高帧速率的可生产且具有成本效益的太赫兹成像焦平面阵列的可用性将使新型安全系统的生产成为可能（通过服装和包装材料成像，金属检测），识别和识别（使用皮下血管模式），标记物（太赫兹编码埋在塑料卡或芯片中）、诊断医学（皮下组织的非侵入性探测、内部热成像）以及有机和药物材料的快速识别和表征。

INTELLECTUAL MERIT This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project addresses development of a terahertz imaging focal plane array. The detectors are thin cantilevered strips whose physical properties change with temperature. The research objectives include modeling and design of the cantilevers, assessment of optical vs. electronic irradiance readout, means for maximizing irradiance absorption, and techniques for image array readout. These objectives will be pursued within the framework of Phase II production of functioning arrays. From earlier work in the thermal infrared, the detector array is projected to be very sensitive compared to existing bolometers, with a response time permitting high frame rates, high pixel count, and development of imaging arrays of high resolution (pixel count). BROADER IMPACT Terahertz radiation imaging offers many of the benefits of X-rays, without ionizing radiation. THz imaging spectroscopy offers a new and very powerful tool for selectively imaging and identifying complex chemical species. Availability of a producible and cost-effective THz-imaging focal plane array with high pixel count, high sensitivity and high frame rate will enable production of new classes of systems for security (imaging through clothing and packaging materials, metal detection), identification and recognition (using subcutaneous blood vessel patterns), taggants (with THz-based coding buried in plastic cards or chips), diagnostic medicine (non-invasive exploration of subcutaneous tissue, interior thermal mapping), and rapid identification and characterization of organic and pharmaceutical materials.