Improvements in state-of-the-art uncooled microbolometer system performance based on volume manufacturing experience

Brian S. Backer; Thomas E. Breen; Nancy Hartle; Margaret Kohin; Robert Murphy

doi:10.1117/12.487903

10 October 2003 Improvements in state-of-the-art uncooled microbolometer system performance based on volume manufacturing experience

Brian S. Backer, Thomas E. Breen, Nancy Hartle, Margaret Kohin, Robert Murphy

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5074, Infrared Technology and Applications XXIX; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.487903
Event: AeroSense 2003, 2003, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Starting in the early 1990’s, BAE SYSTEMS began a significant investment in the development of MicroIR Uncooled Microbolometers. 160 x 120, 320 x 240, and 640 x 480 focal plane array (FPA) technology advances in both large pixel and small pixel format have driven Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD), power, size, weight, and price lower. These improvements have resulted in many new applications that previously could not afford larger, heavier, costlier cooled systems. While advancements in state of the art performance have been published regularly at Aerosense and other industry forums, far less has been discussed on the performance advances that have occurred as a result of volume manufacturing. This paper describes the improvements in performance that have been a result of BAE SYSTEMS leadership position in MicroIR microbolometer manufacturing. With over 15,000 units shipped through 2002, ranging from Standard Imaging Modules (SIM) to Standard Camera Cores (SCC) to complete imaging systems, the cumulative expertise gathered from this manufacturing experience over the past seven years has also pushed the state of the art system performance, in ways that single/small quantity technology demonstrators never could. Comparisons of temporal NETD, spatial NETD, dynamic range, operability, throughput, capacity, and other key metrics from early manufacturing lots to the present will be presented to demonstrate the advances that can only be achieved through volume manufacturing.

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Brian S. Backer, Thomas E. Breen, Nancy Hartle, Margaret Kohin, and Robert Murphy "Improvements in state-of-the-art uncooled microbolometer system performance based on volume manufacturing experience", Proc. SPIE 5074, Infrared Technology and Applications XXIX, (10 October 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.487903

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KEYWORDS

Manufacturing

Microbolometers

Imaging systems

Staring arrays

Yield improvement

Readout integrated circuits

Electronics

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