Infrared MEMS

在过去，中红外和远红外光谱主要是天文学家和一些光谱学家感兴趣的，但近年来，人们对使用这一波长范围进行传感和成像的兴趣急剧增长。 扩大红外技术应用的挑战之一是设计适合现场使用的微型系统。这些可以是例如安装在远程操作或自动驾驶车辆上的便携式手持设备或单元。因此，有必要开发不需要冷却的紧凑、高效、低成本的源和检测器技术。 拟议计划的一个关键目标是融合红外材料，微机械加工，热设计，等离子体和元表面的想法，以扩展热中远红外源，探测器和光学元件的性能预期。这项工作将导致更好地理解热，光，材料和结构之间的相互作用。研究结果将在非色散和光谱气体传感，材料分析，多光谱和超光谱成像中得到应用。 该计划将通过单片集成微机械热隔离结构与等离子体和超材料结构进行色散控制来开发微制造红外光学元件。这些技术的结合将导致具有工程发射光谱的高效红外发射器。 申请人在热探测器、微加工、薄膜材料、工艺设计以及MEMS和传感器开发方面拥有丰富的经验，并将确保利用当地的微加工能力对可制造设备进行实验演示。在等离子体传感器、热和光学器件建模以及红外超材料方面的现有合作将支持设计概念的数值评估。卡尔顿集团、当地公司和外部服务实验室之间的合作将实现全面的设备测试。 这项工作的重要性将体现在若干领域。量子级联激光器是中远红外线强相干辐射的标准。然而，MEMS热发射器仍然是可从若干供应商获得的流行IR源。具有定制发射光谱的更有效的发射器将在微型、低功率和低成本气体传感器中找到市场。在该波长范围内的光学和检测器组件的小型化将使检测器阵列具有不同的光谱响应，从而允许多光谱测量。通过热致动或静电致动的可调谐元件的进一步发展可以导致用于成像或光谱测量的连续光谱的测量。

In the past the mid and far infrared spectrum was mainly of interest to astronomers and a few spectroscopists,but in recent years interest has grown dramatically in sensing and imaging using this wavelength range. One of the challenges to expanding application of infrared technology is in devising miniature systems suitable for field use. These might be, for example, portable hand held devices or units mounted on remotely operated or autonomous vehicles. It is therefore necessary to develop compact, efficient, low cost source and detector technologies that do not require cooling. A key goal of the proposed program is to merge ideas in infrared materials, micromachining, thermal design, plasmonics, and metasurfaces to extend the performance expectations for thermal mid and far infrared sources, detectors, and optical components. This work will lead to an improved understanding of the interaction between heat, light, materials, and structures. The results will find application in non dispersive and spectroscopic gas sensing, materials analysis, and multi and hyper spectral imaging. The proposed program will develop microfabricated infrared optical elements by monolithically integrating micromachined thermal isolation structures with plasmonic and metamaterial structures for dispersion control. The combination of technologies will lead to highly efficient infrared emitters with engineered emission spectra. The applicant has extensive experience in thermal detectors, microfabrication, thin film materials, process design and development for MEMS and sensors and will ensure an experimental demonstration of a manufacturable device using local microfabrication capabilities. Existing collaborations on plasmonic sensors, on thermal and optical device modeling, and on infrared metamaterials will support numerical evaluation of design concepts. Collaboration between groups at Carleton, local companies, and external service labs will enable comprehensive device testing. The significance of this work will be seen in a number of areas. The Quantum Cascade Laser is the standard for intense and coherent radiation in the mid to far infrared. However the MEMS thermal emitter continues to be a popular IR source available from several vendors. A more efficient emitter with a customized emission spectrum will find a market in miniature, low power and low cost gas sensors. Miniaturization of optical and detector components in this wavelength range will enable arrays of detectors with different spectral response allowing multi spectral measurements. Further development of tunable elements through thermal or electrostatic actuation can lead to measurement of a continuous spectrum for imaging or spectroscopic measurement.