This paper presents an overview of the research program on uncooled IR sensitive bolometer technology at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). It covers the design, materials growth, and performance of semiconductor film bolometer (SFB) IR detectors, with a strong emphasis on the practical considerations involved in their production. The overview includes a discussion of thermal isolation and the effects that vacuum packaging, and other alternative technologies, have on the performance of the detectors. Some of the principal applications of uncooled SFB IR detectors are also discussed. Finally, current technological developments in the DSTO uncooled sensor program and the direction of future research are described.

Date Published: 8 September 1995
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 2552, Infrared Technology XXI, (8 September 1995); doi: 10.1117/12.218278

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2552:
Infrared Technology XXI
Bjorn F. Andresen; Marija Strojnik, Editor(s)