This thesis presents the development of integrated readout electronics for diode type microbolometers and development of external camera electronics for microbolometers. The developed readout electronics are fabricated with its integrated 160x120 resolution FPA (Focal Plane Array) in the XFAB SOI-CMOS 1.0 &mu / m process. The pixels in the FPA have 70 &mu / m pixel pitch, and they are sensitive in the 8&ndash / 12 &mu / m band of the infrared spectrum. Each pixel has 4 serially connected diodes, and diode turn on voltage changes as the temperature of the suspended and thermally isolated pixel increases due to the absorbed infrared power. Suspension of the pixels is obtained with a post-CMOS MEMS etching process, but this process requires no critical litography and/or deposition steps. This dramatically reduces the detector process cost, which makes this microbolometer FPA suitable for ultra low-cost applications such as automobile, security, and commercial applications. The readout electronics of the FPA include digital blocks such as timing and programming blocks as well as analog blocks such as a differential trans-conductance amplifier, a switched capacitor integrator, a sampleand- hold, and current DACs. This new readout design has reduced number of pins to simplify the external electronics and allows wafer-level vacuum packaging compared to the 128x128 FPA developed in a previous study at METU with the same approach. Both of these features further decrease the cost. Two kinds of external camera electronics are developed for two SOI type microbolometers. The first one is for the 128x128 SOI microbolometer previously designed in METU. The developed external camera electronics have 1.5mVrms noise, which is much less than the microbolometer noise. The overall system has an average NETD of 465 mK and a peak NETD of 320mK. The second developed external camera electronics are for the 160x120 SOI microbolometers that developed in the scope of this thesis. The developed external camera electronics has 0.55mVrms noise which is much less than the bolometer noise which is 5mVrms. The overall system has an average NETD of 820 mK and a peak NETD of 350 mK. Each of these external camera electronics include a custom designed PCB, an FPGA board with appropiate configurion and a software working on a PC. The custom designed PCB holds the external components for the microbolometer, an FPGA takes and processes the bolometer data and it sends to a PC, and a PC processes these data and forms a streaming video. These two external camera electronics allow to obtain human images verifying that the developed microbolometers can be used for security and automotive applications.

This thesis reports the development of low-cost uncooled microbolometer focal plane arrays (FPAs) together with their integrated readout circuitry for infrared night vision applications. Infrared microbolometer detectors are based on suspended and thermally isolated p+-active/n-well diodes fabricated using a standard 0.35 &micro / m CMOS process followed by a simple post-CMOS bulk-micromachining process. The post-CMOS process does not require any critical lithography or complicated deposition steps / and therefore, the FPA cost is reduced considerably. The integrated readout circuitry is developed specially for the p+-active/n-well diode microbolometers that provides lower input referred noise voltage than the previously developed microbolometer readout circuits suitable for the diode type microbolometers. Two FPAs with 64 &times / 64 and 128 &times / 128 array formats have been implemented together with their low-noise integrated readout circuitry. These FPAs are first of their kinds where such large format uncooled infrared FPAs are designed and fabricated using a standard CMOS process. The fabricated detectors have a temperature coefficient of -2 mV/K, a thermal conductance value of 1.55 &times / 10-7 W/K, and a thermal time constant value of 36 ms, providing a measured DC responsivity (&amp / #8476 / ) of 4970 V/W under continuous bias. The measured detector noise is 0.69 &micro / V in 8 kHz bandwidth, resulting a measured detectivity (D*) of 9.7 &times / 108 cm&amp / #8730 / Hz/W. The 64 &times / 64 FPA chip has 4096 pixels scanned by an integrated 16-channel parallel readout circuit composed of low-noise differential transconductance amplifiers, switched capacitor integrators, and sample-and-hold circuits. It measures 4.1 mm &times / 5.4 mm, dissipates 25 mW power, and provides an estimated NETD value of 0.8 K at 30 frames/sec (fps) for an f/1 optics. The measured uncorrected voltage non-uniformity for the 64 &times / 64 array after the CMOS fabrication is 0.8 %, which is reduced further down to 0.2 % for the 128 &times / 128 array using an improved FPA structure that can compensate for the fixed pattern noise due to the FPA routing. The 128 &times / 128 FPA chip has 16384 microbolometer pixels scanned by a 32-channel parallel readout circuitry. The 128 &times / 128 FPA measures 6.6 mm &times / 7.9 mm, includes a PTAT temperature sensor and a vacuum sensor, dissipates 25 mW power, and provides an estimated NETD value of 1 K at 30 fps for an f/1 optics. These NETD values can be decreased below 350 mK with further optimization of the readout circuit and post-CMOS etching steps. Hence, the proposed method is very cost-effective to fabricate large format focal plane arrays for very low-cost infrared imaging applications.

A number of MIR sensing platforms and methods were developed in this research work demonstrating potential applicability of MIR spectroscopy for studying hydrocarbon systems in extreme environments. First of all, the quantitative determination of the diamondoid compound adamantane in organic media utilizing IR-ATR spectroscopy at waveguide surfaces was established. The developed analytical strategy further enabled the successful detection of adamantane in real world crude oil samples. These reported efforts provide a promising outlook for detection and monitoring of diamondoid constituents in naturally occurring crudes and petroleum samples. IR-ATR spectroscopy was further utilized for evaluating and characterizing distribution, variations, and origin of carbonate minerals within sediment formations surrounding a hydrocarbon seep site - MC 118 in the Gulf of Mexico. An analytical model for direct detection of 13C-depleted authigenic carbonates associated with cold seep ecosystems was constructed. Potential applicability of IR-ATR spectroscopy as direct on-ship - and in future in situ - analytical tool for characterizing hydrocarbon seep sites was demonstrated. MIR evanescent field absorption spectroscopy was also utilized to expand the understanding on the role of surfactants during gas hydrate formation at surfaces. This experimental method allowed detailed spectroscopic observations of detergent-related surface processes during SDS mediated gas hydrate formation. The obtained IR data enabled proposing a mechanism by which SDS decreases the induction time for hydrate nucleation, and promotes hydrate formation. Potential of MIR fiberoptic evanescent field spectroscopy for studying surface effects during gas hydrate nucleation and growth was demonstrated. Next, quantifying trace amounts of water content in hexane using MIR evanescent field absorption spectroscopy is presented. The improvement in sensitivity and of limit of detection was obtained by coating an optical fiber with layer of a hydrophilic polymer. The application of the polymer layer has enabled the on-line MIR detection of water in hexane at low ppm levels. These results indicate that the MIR evanescent filed spectroscopy method shows potential for in-situ detection and monitoring of water in industrial oils and petroleum products. Finally, quantification of trace amounts of oil content in water using MIR evanescent field absorption spectroscopy is reported. Unmodified and modified with grafted hydrophobic polymer layer silver halide optical fibers were employed for the measurements. The surface modification of the fiber has enabled the on-line MIR analysis of crude oil in water at the low ppb level. Potential application of MIR fiber-optic evanescent field spectroscopy using polymer modified waveguides toward in-situ low level detection of crude oil in open waters was demonstrated.

[Truncated abstract] Infrared photodiodes fabricated in HgCdTe achieve near-ideal performance, however, in comparison with other semiconductors, processing techniques for HgCdTe are expensive and have relatively low yields. Reactive-ion-etching (RIE) in a H2⁄CH4 gas mixture, a process primarily used for material removal, will cause p-to-n type conversion in HgCdTe. It has been shown, by several groups, that infrared photodiodes fabricated with a process technology based on RIE p-to-n type-conversion achieve high yields with state-of-the-art performance. For this technology to be accepted RIE formed n-on-p photodiodes must demonstrate junction stability under normal operating conditions. Along with a stable junction, a compatible passivation technology that is able to withstand processing and operation temperatures is required. This thesis investigates the RIE p-to-n type-conversion mechanism in HgCdTe with the aim of demonstrating bake stable RIE formed junctions, and gaining an insight to the processes by which RIE type-conversion occurs. In pursuing these aims, two complimentary objectives were required, namely, the development of a passivation technology compatible with RIE formed junctions, and the development of a detailed I-V/Rd-V model for HgCdTe photodiodes. As a result of these objectives, this thesis presents a double-layer ZnS on CdTe passivation technology with which stable RIE-formed n-on-p junctions in HgCdTe are demonstrated. Using this process technology, mid-wave infrared (MWIR) HgCdTe photodiodes have been fabricated and subjected to a bake in vacuum at 80°C for 175 hours, after which there is negligible degradation in the zero-bias Dynamic-Resistance Area product (RoA) from the pre-bake values

Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2001 / Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-166). Also available in electronic format via the Defense Technical Information Center website.

Tato diplomová práce zkoumá problematiku detektoru infračerveného záření nazývaného bolometr. Cílem je pokrok v detekci infračerveného záření použitím odlišné absorpční vrstvy modifikovanou karbonovými nanotrubicemi. V teoretické části jsou uvedeny základní fyzikální pojmy z problematiky teplotního managmentu a základních fyzikálních vztahů bolometru. Design bolometru je představen a popsán. Teplotně mechanické simulace předvídají chování bolometru při detekci infračerveného záření. PSpice model je vytvořen a kombinuje termální a elektrické vlastnosti čipu bolometru. Dále je uveden proces výroby bolometru, které je detailně popsán.

La mission JUICE de l’ESA sera la troisième mission d’exploration entièrement dédiée au système de Jupiter, et la première à se concentrer sur les lunes Galiléennes glacées susceptibles d’abriter des océans d’eau liquide. Prévue pour un lancement en 2022 et une insertion en orbite jovienne fin 2029, la sonde emportera parmi ses 11 instruments le spectro-imageur MAJIS. Les données d’un tel instrument comprennent une image à haute résolution spatiale de la zone étudiée et un spectre pour chacun des pixels de cette image. Ce spectre, dans la gamme allant de 0.5 à 5.5 µm, permet d’obtenir des informations physico-chimiques sur le contenu du pixel concerné. Le laboratoire où j’ai effectué mon travail de thèse, l’IAS, s’est vu confier la responsabilité de la réalisation de MAJIS. Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de mon travail était de contribuer à la définition et à l’implémentation de l’étalonnage de l’instrument : j’ai pour cela dû comprendre d’abord ses objectifs scientifiques et les exigences instrumentales qui en découlent, et maîtriser les caractéristiques des sous-systèmes qui composent MAJIS. J’ai tout d’abord traité les données de l’imageur intégral de champ de SPHERE, un instrument du VLT, qui avait observé la lune Galiléenne volcanique Io en 2014. Bien que ce satellite soit un objectif mineur de la mission JUICE, j’ai dû me confronter au fonctionnement de l’instrument pour en réduire les données et le traitement des spectres a requis le développement d’un modèle photométrique d’observation de la surface que j’ai pu confronter à la réalité et à d’autres études. L’identification de nombreux biais systématiques dans ces données et la quantification de ses limites de détection spatiales et spectrales m’ont permis de souligner l’aspect critique de la phase d’étalonnage de MAJIS pour que ses données soient exploitables. Avant cette étape toutefois, la connaissance des sous-systèmes qui vont constituer l’instrument est elle aussi nécessaire car certains de leurs paramètres conditionneront le déroulement de cet étalonnage et ils ne pourront pas tous être mesurés à cette occasion. J’ai donc caractérisé, à l’aide des bancs optiques dédiés à l’IAS, le plan focal de l’instrument et surtout son détecteur CMOS infrarouge de type HgCdTe. J’ai pu mesurer ses caractéristiques les plus courantes, comme son courant d’obscurité, sa profondeur de puits, son efficacité quantique, son éventuelle persistance, son bruit de lecture et la linéarité de sa réponse. Dans le cas d’une mission vers Jupiter, un autre aspect des performances du détecteur doit être étudié en détail : sa résistance aux radiations, particulièrement intenses dans la magnétosphère jovienne. J’ai pu effectuer une série de tests sur des détecteurs témoins avec des sources d’électrons, de protons et de photons de hautes énergies, qui m’ont permis de montrer la très bonne résistance du plan focal aux dégâts permanents. Ces données ont aussi permis de caractériser expérimentalement le signal transient induit par un bombardement aux électrons, ce qui m’a permis de valider l’approche de filtrage de ce signal qui sera implémentée en vol. C’est enfin grâce aux résultats de ces trois approches et au développement d’un modèle photométrique complet de l’instrument et de son dispositif d’étalonnage, que j’ai pu discuter l’architecture de ce dernier et proposer des séquences de mesure pour la campagne d’étalonnage. J’ai donc travaillé avec les ingénieurs du laboratoire et des industriels pour réaliser ce dispositif d’étalonnage, sélectionner les sources de lumière qui permettront la mesure de la réponse spatiale, spectrale et radiométrique de l’instrument nécessaires à l’interprétation de ses données au cours de la mission. Au moment de la rédaction de ce manuscrit, le banc d’étalonnage était en cours d’assemblage et j’ai donc pu conclure ce travail par la confrontation de mon modèle aux résultats expérimentaux de validation de certaines voies optiques du dispositif d’étalonnage. / The ESA JUICE mission will only be the third mission fully dedicated to exploring the Jupiter system, and the first with a specific focus on the icy Galilean moons that may harbor oceans of liquid water. Planned for launch in 2022 for a Jovian orbit insertion in late 2029, the probe will carry MAJIS among its 11 instruments, an imaging spectrometer operating from the visible to medium infrared wavelengths. This type of instrument provides very comprehensive data of the observed surface or atmosphere/exosphere: its high spatial resolution capability provides geomorphological information, such as the presence of craters or faults that mark the age and activity of the terrain, while for each pixel a spectrum is acquired. This spectrum, ranging from 0.5 to 5.5 $mu$m, yields physical and chemical information on the region of interest, thus placed in its geomorphic context. The Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, my PhD host laboratory, has a legacy of development of such instruments, prominently OMEGA aboard the 2003 Mars Express probe, of which MAJIS is the latest and current project. In this context, my work’s aim was to contribute to the definition and implementation of the instrument’s calibration: to achieve that I first had to understand its scientific objectives and the resulting instrumental requirements, as well as mastering the characteristics of MAJIS subsystems. As part of that process, I analyzed recent data of Io acquired with SPHERE, an integral field spectrometer on the VLT, which possesses similarities with the expected data products of MAJIS. Though this satellite is a minor objective of the JUICE mission, I had to understand the instrument itself in order to reduce its data and the spectra analysis required the development of a photometric model of a surface observation which I confronted to the reality and to previous studies. The identification of many systematic biases in these data and the quantification of its spatial and spectral detection limits allowed me to highlight the critical aspect in the upcoming calibration phase of MAJIS in order to get interpretable in-flight data. To reach this goal the knowledge of the subsystems of the instrument is also necessary because their behavior will condition the calibration scenario and all their parameters will not be measured again on this occasion. I have therefore characterized, using dedicated optical benches, the focal plane of the instrument and especially its HgCdTe CMOS infrared detector. I was able to measure its most common characteristics, such as its dark current, full-well capacity, quantum efficiency, persistence and readout noise. The knowledge of QE and full-well depth was incorporated into an end-to-end radiometric model of MAJIS, which I fed with the spectral radiance of different scientific targets, including modeled ionian surface flows. In turn, this allowed me to select sources and optical solutions suitable for calibration. Due to the intense radiation levels in the Jovian magnetosphere, the detector’s resilience to radiations also needed to be studied. I was able to perform three test campaigns on control detectors with sources of electrons, protons and high energy photons, which allowed me to show the overall very good resilience of the focal plane to permanent damages and to validate the foreseen transient effects reduction algorithms. These three approaches required that I develop a complete photometric model of the instrument and of its calibration setup which I used to discuss its design and submit test sequences for the calibration campaign. I have worked with our laboratory engineers and industrials to design then build the calibration setup with the light sources that will allow measurement of the spatial, spectral and radiometric responses of the instrument, required to interpret its data during the mission.

No description available.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / In this thesis, a series of experiments were performed to characterize the material properties of InGaAs/GaAs for use in a two-color quantum-well IR photodetector (QWIP) design. Results from room temperature studies using cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence indicated light emission at 858 nm and 1019 nm from GaAs and InGaAs, respectively. Using a direct transport imaging technique, an edge dislocation pattern was observed and shown to be confined to the InGaAs layer of the material. A dislocation density measurement was performed and was shown to be less than 2000 lines/cm. Quantitative intensity level measurements indicated fluctuation in the region of dislocations to be less than 30% of the signal to background level. Finally, a spot mode study using the direct transport imaging method was performed to evaluate the feasibility of using this technique for contact-less diffusion length measurements. / Civilian, Department of Air Force

Sze Sai-tim. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-82). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgment --- p.i / Abstract (English) --- p.ii / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.iii / List of Figures --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.v / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- Air pollution in Hong Kong --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Chemical speciation of carbon in air particulates --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Carbonaceous compounds in air and their harmful effects --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4 --- Review of analytical techniques for carbon determination --- p.14 / Chapter 1.5 --- Research objective --- p.18 / Chapter 1.6 --- Brief description of the project --- p.20 / Chapter 2. --- INSTRUMENTATION AND THEORY / Chapter 2.1 --- Thermal-optical-FID method --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2 --- Combustion-NDIR method --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3 --- Comparison between two methods --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4 --- Materials used for preparing standards --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5 --- Filter media for thermal analysis of carbon containing aerosols --- p.31 / Chapter 3. --- EXPERIMENTAL / Chapter 3.1 --- Instrumentation --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2 --- Apparatus --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3 --- Reagents --- p.35 / Chapter 3.4 --- Analysis time and operation temperature --- p.36 / Chapter 3.5 --- Procedures --- p.38 / Chapter 4. --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION / Chapter 4.1 --- Particulate matter concentration in air --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2 --- Calibration --- p.43 / Chapter 4.3 --- Recovery study of total carbon in Standard Reference Material --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4 --- Study of filter deposit homogeneity --- p.50 / Chapter 4.5 --- Determination of total carbon in air particulates --- p.52 / Chapter 4.6 --- Further comparison of two methods by determination of total carbon in different sample type (river suspended solids) --- p.61 / Chapter 4.7 --- Repeatability of time of evolution and quantity of carbon determined by thermal optical-FID --- p.70 / Chapter 4.8 --- Reproducibility of measuring total carbon in PM2 5 and PM10 --- p.73 / Chapter 5. --- CONCLUSION --- p.75 / Chapter 6. --- REFERENCES --- p.77