Low cost, low power uncooled thermal imaging sensors have completely changed the way the world views security and law enforcement. A technology has emerged that has furthered lowered the cost and power of thermal imaging sensors. These sensors utilize low cost, ultra low power, high volume, vacuum packaged amorphous silicon technologies. Manufacturing and packaging discoveries have allowed infrared sensitive silicon arrays to be produced with the same methods that have driven the rapidly advancing digital wireless telecommunications industries. It is currently available and in production for the Fire Fighting and Security markets. This technology will allow insertion into Law Enforcement and Security areas that have previously been unable to use IR technology due to cost barriers. These amorphous microbolometers contain no choppers or thermoelectric coolers, require no manual calibration and use readily available commercial off-the-shelf components.

Date Published: 14 August 2002
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 4708, Sensors, and Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Technologies for Homeland Defense and Law Enforcement, (14 August 2002); doi: 10.1117/12.479308

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4708:
Sensors, and Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Technologies for Homeland Defense and Law Enforcement
Edward M. Carapezza, Editor(s)