SBIR Phase II: Infrared Detectors Using Micro-Cantilevers

9627174亨特这一小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目将利用微悬臂梁技术的最新发展来开发新型红外探测器。这种器件可以使用标准的半导体制造方法批量生产，并使用微机械加工技术为我们的特定应用量身定做。在该项目的第一阶段，建造了一个工作的温度和红外传感器的实验室版本，并使用光学和压阻技术对其进行了测试，以测量由于热应力引起的悬臂弯曲。结果表明，压阻技术检测光辐射的灵敏度比光学传感技术高一个数量级，而优化传感器输出响应所需的对准和电子放大要求也比光学检测技术简单得多。在二期工程中，将利用压阻技术对红外温度传感器的性能进行优化，并将建造该仪器的各种工程原型。第三阶段将通过制造和销售专门为特定红外传感和温度测量应用而设计的各种独立仪器，将这项技术商业化。基于微悬臂梁的红外探测器的商业应用很多，因为这些探测器非常灵敏，容易小型化，并且容易大规模生产。医疗应用包括用于癌症检测的非接触式测温和全身热成像。航空航天工业、军事以及夜视和安全应用都需要高灵敏度的温度测量和红外成像能力。制造和机械中的温度控制也是可能的应用。

9627174 Hunter This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will result in the development of new types of infrared detectors utilizing very recent developments in microcantilever technology. Such devices can be mass produced using standard semiconductor manufacturing methods, and specially tailored to our particular application using micromachining techniques. During Phase I of this project, a working laboratory version of a temperature and IR sensor was constructed and tested using both optical and piezoresistive techniques to measure the cantilever bending due to thermal induced stress. The piezoresistive technique was shown to have an order of magnitude higher sensitivity for detecting optical radiation than the optical sensing technique, and the attendant alignment and electronic amplification requirements needed to optimize the output response from the sensor were considerably simpler than those for the optical detection technique. During Phase II of the project the performance of the infrared temperature sensor will be optimized using the piezoresistive technique and various engineering prototypes of this instrument will be built. Phase III will involve commercialization of this technology through fabrication and sales of various stand-alone instruments specifically designed for given IR sensing and temperature measurement applications. Commercial applications of infrared detectors based on microcantilevers are numerous since these detectors are extremely sensitive, easily miniaturized, and can be readily mass produced. Medical applications include non contact thermometry and whole body thermal imaging for cancer detection. High sensitivity temperature measurement and IR imaging capabilities are required in the aerospace industry, military, and for night vision and security applications. Temperature control in manufacturing and machines also are possible applications.