Infrared imager employing 160x120 pixel uncooled bolometer array

We have developed an uncooled thermal imager having 160x120, 50 mu m x 50 mu m pixels which operates at 30 Hz frame rate. It employs a complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) readout integrated circuit (ROIC) beneath a vanadium oxide (VOx) silicon microstructure bolometric array. Imagery output is in RS-170 format. An RS-232 port can be employed to command operation from a remote location. Weight of the "engine," consisting of the focal plane array in its package plus three circuit boards, each 3x3 inches, is 8 oz. input power is 2.5 Watts. Also included on the boards is a circuit which avoids the need for a temperature stabilizer in the array package. Operating in the 8-14 mu m spectral interval, the imager has a noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) with an f/0.8 lens against 295K targets of less than or equal to 0.1C. The dynamic range of 66 dB will accommodate very hot targets without saturation of an image which also contains 290K targets.