Presented herein is the design and construction process in the expansion of BYU's seven-element experimental platform to a nineteen-element platform for phased array feed experiments. The nineteen-element system was deployed at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank West Virginia for use on the Green Bank 20-Meter Telescope. Numerical simulations were performed to determine how sensitivity was affected by electronic beam steering and offset of the phased array feed (PAF) relative to the focal plane of the reflector. These simulated results were then compared to experimental data.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / D.L. Wetzel / Chemical imaging enables displaying the distribution of different substances within a field of view based on their fundamental vibrational frequencies. Mid-IR bands are generally strong and feature direct correlation to chemical structure, while near IR spectra consist of overtones and combinations of mid-IR bands. Recently, mid-IR microspectroscopy has enabled determination of the relative substitution of hydroxyl groups with the modifying agent for individual waxy maize starch granules by using synchrotron source. The brightness and non-divergence of the synchrotron source and confocal masking enabled obtaining individual spectra with 5 [mu]m[superscript]2 masking and 1 [mu]m raster scanned steps. Each 1 [mu]m step results from the coaddition of hundreds of scans and lengthy data collection is required to produce data. The recent breakthrough at the Synchrotron Research Center uses a multi-beam synchrotron source combined with a focal plane array microspectrometer. This major improvement in localized detection of the modifying agent within single waxy maize starch granules is the increased efficiency of focal plane array detection and an effective spatial resolution of 0.54 [mu]m. Mixtures of granular solids represent an analytical challenge due to the range of heterogeneity and homogeneity within samples. Near IR imaging provides deeper sample penetration allowing for solid mixture analysis. However, the broad, overlapping bands present in the near IR necessitates statistical data treatment. This requires imaging specimens representative of the individual components to create spectral libraries for classification of each component. Partial least squares analysis then allows characterization and subsequent pixel analysis provides quantitative results. The primary break system for wheat milling was studied as it is key in releasing endosperm to be further ground into fine flour in subsequent processes. The mass balance of endosperm throughout individual unit processes was determined by obtaining flow rates of incoming and outgoing millstreams and calculating endosperm content through pixel identification. The feed milling industry requires the use of a tracer to determine adequate mixing and mix uniformity to limit the time and energy in processing. Near IR imaging allows individual components of a formula feed to serve as a self-tracer, eliminating the need of an inorganic tracer.

<p>This thesis describes three computational optical systems and their underlying coding strategies. These codes are useful in a variety of optical imaging and spectroscopic applications. Two multichannel cameras are described. They both use a lenslet array to generate multiple copies of a scene on the detector. Digital processing combines the measured data into a single image. The visible system uses focal plane coding, and the long wave infrared (LWIR) system uses shift coding. With proper calibration, the multichannel interpolation results recover contrast for targets at frequencies beyond the aliasing limit of the individual subimages. This thesis also describes a LWIR imaging system that simultaneously measures four wavelength channels each with narrow bandwidth. In this system, lenses, aperture masks, and dispersive optics implement a spatially varying spectral code.</p> / Dissertation

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.

No description available.

This thesis presents the development of CMOS readout electronics for microbolometer type infrared detector arrays. A low power output buffering architecture and a new bias correction digital-to-analog converter (DAC) structure for resistive microbolometer readouts is developed / and a 384x288 resistive microbolometer FPA readout for 35 &micro / m pixel pitch is designed and fabricated in a standard 0.6 &micro / m CMOS process. A 4-layer PCB is also prepared in order to form an imaging system together with the FPA after detector fabrication. The low power output buffering architecture employs a new buffering scheme that reduces the capacitive load and hence, the power dissipation of the readout channels. Furthermore, a special type operational amplifier with digitally controllable output current capability is designed in order to use the power more efficiently. With the combination of these two methods, the power dissipation of the output buffering structure of a 384x288 microbolometer FPA with 35 &micro / m pixel pitch operating at 50 fps with two output channels can be decreased to 8.96% of its initial value. The new bias correction DAC structure is designed to overcome the power dissipation and noise problems of the previous designs at METU. The structure is composed of two resistive ladder DAC stages, which are capable of providing multiple outputs. This feature of the resistive ladders reduces the overall area and power dissipation of the structure and enables the implementation of a dedicated DAC for each readout channel. As a result, the need for the sampling operation required in the previous designs is eliminated. Elimination of sampling prevents the concentration of the noise into the baseband, and therefore, allows most of the noise to be filtered out by integration. A 384x288 resistive microbolometer FPA readout with 35 &amp / #956 / m pixel pitch is designed and fabricated in a standard 0.6 &amp / #956 / m CMOS process. The fabricated chip occupies an area of 17.84 mm x 16.23 mm, and needs 32 pads for normal operation. The readout employs the low power output buffering architecture and the new bias correction DAC structure / therefore, it has significantly low power dissipation when compared to the previous designs at METU. A 4-layer imaging PCB is also designed for the FPA, and initial tests are performed with the same PCB. Results of the performed tests verify the proper operation of the readout. The rms output noise of the imaging system and the power dissipation of the readout when operating at a speed of 50 fps is measured as 1.76 mV and 236.9 mW, respectively.

This thesis provides theoretical and practical solutions to two problems raised by digital photography of moving scenes, and infrared photography. Until recently photographing moving objects could only be done using short exposure times. Yet, two recent groundbreaking works have proposed two new designs of camera allowing arbitrary exposure times. The flutter shutter of Agrawal et al. creates an invertible motion blur by using a clever shutter technique to interrupt the photon flux during the exposure time according to a well chosen binary sequence. The motion-invariant photography of Levin et al. gets the same result by accelerating the camera at a constant rate. Both methods follow computational photography as a new paradigm. The conception of cameras is rethought to include sophisticated digital processing. This thesis proposes a method for evaluating the image quality of these new cameras. The leitmotiv of the analysis is the SNR (signal to noise ratio) of the image after deconvolution. It gives the efficiency of these new camera design in terms of image quality. The theory provides explicit formulas for the SNR. It raises two paradoxes of these cameras, and resolves them. It provides the underlying motion model of each flutter shutter, including patented ones. A shorter second part addresses the the main quality problem in infrared video imaging, the non-uniformity. This perturbation is a time-dependent noise caused by the infrared sensor, structured in columns. The conclusion of this work is that it is not only possible but also efficient and robust to perform the correction on a single image. This permits to ensure the absence of ''ghost artifacts'', a classic of the literature on the subject, coming from inadequate processing relative to the acquisition model.

Si dans les caméras actuelles, les matrices de photodétection sont planes, dans la nature, aucune surface focale n'est plane : la rétine est soit concave (œil humain), soit convexe (œil d'insecte). Ces architectures offrent deux solutions de miniaturisation et de simplification des systèmes de détection, qui ont fait l'objet des travaux de cette thèse. La courbure concave du détecteur permet de supprimer l'aberration de courbure de champ qui est particulièrement présente dans les instruments grand champ. L'étude théorique de cette solution, étayée par des applications concrètes, a permis de démontrer la simplification des architectures accessibles par cette approche, ainsi que les améliorations en termes de performances optiques. La courbure convexe permet quant à elle de miniaturiser les systèmes grand champ, en s'inspirant de l'œil composé des petits invertébrés. Cette architecture, constituée de groupes de pixels reliés par une métallisation souple, a été réalisée sur une matrice de détecteurs infrarouge en CdHgTe. Les composants obtenus sont fonctionnels et comparables en termes de performances aux valeurs standard. Ils ouvrent à la voie à des architectures grand champ extrêmement compactes. L'originalité du travail a porté sur la mise en forme sphérique de composants monolithiques, dont la couche active n'est pas modifiée, permettant ainsi de produire des systèmes avec un taux de remplissage de 100%. Après une étude de la souplesse d'échantillons de silicium aminci, le procédé de courbure a été transféré sur des composants fonctionnels: circuit de lecture Si-CMOS et matrice de micro-bolomètres infrarouge. La courbure concave des matrices de détection infrarouge de type micro-bolomètres, a mené à la réalisation de deux caméras. La première, constituée de deux lentilles du commerce, a permis de comparer les systèmes composés des détecteurs plan et courbe. Le gain lié à la courbure sphérique de la rétine sur l'uniformité de la réponse impulsionnelle a été prouvé grâce aux mesures de la fonction de transfert de contrastes (FTC). Enfin, à l'image d'un œil humain, un œil infrarouge composé d'une seule lentille et d'une matrice de micro-bolomètres courbée en concave a été réalisée. La qualité des images obtenues, ainsi que la FTC mesurée, ont mis en évidence le potentiel des plans focaux courbés pour des systèmes ultra-compacts, inenvisageables jusqu'à ce jour. / In natural world, plane retina, on which are based our cameras does not exist. The focal plane is either concave for human beings or convex in insects' eyes. Both curvatures offer novel solution to miniaturize and simplify the optical design, and both of them have been studied in this work.The concave curving of the focal plane suppresses one aberration, the field curvature, on which depends the image quality of large field of view instruments. Advantages in image quality and optical design have been studied by theoretical analysis and by real cases of instruments. The convex curvature results in a miniaturization achieved by reproducing the compound eye of small invertebrates. This design, which is composed of several groups of pixels interconnected by metallic lines, has been realized with cooled infrared detecting device. The performed detectors are still electrically functional with a comparable behaviour than conventional sensors. The originality of this work is the spherical curvature of monocrystalline and monolithic components; the active layer is not modified for this purpose. The process of curvature has been developed on thinned square silicon bare dies and then transferred to thinned functional devices: Si-CMOS and micro-bolometers. The concave curvature of bolometers leads to the realization of two cameras. The first one, composed of two commercial lenses, was dedicated to the comparison between a planar traditional camera and a curved detector system. Optical advantages, and especially the response uniformity, have been proved thanks to measures of the contrast modulation function (CMF). Finally, I have realized an infrared eye composed of a unique lens and a curved concave bolometer. Both the image quality obtained and CMF experiments proved the interest of the curved focal plane in miniaturized optical systems.

L'imagerie laser 3D est une technique performante utilisée notamment pour cartographier l'environnement dans lequel évolue un aéronef, en mesurant la distance le séparant d'un objet, en plus des coordonnées (x,y). Le système est capable d'acquérir des mesures par tout temps (nuit, pluie, brouillard). Une nouvelle génération de capteurs, multi-pixels et ultra-sensibles, permet alors de répondre aux besoins identifiés pour cartographier avec précision une zone de grande superficie : haute résolution spatiale, longue portée avec précision centimétrique et rapidité d'acquisition. Il s'agit des plans focaux 3D Geiger. Avant leur utilisation en aéroporté, il était nécessaire de se familiariser avec leur fonctionnement, basé sur les probabilités de détection. Un simulateur reproduisant l'ensemble de la chaîne d'acquisition à été développé, puis validé sur des cas réels, au sol et en conditions statiques. Il a ensuite permis de démontrer l'intérêt des plans focaux Geiger pour la cartographie aéroportée à longue distance. / 3D laser imaging is a powerful technique used to recognize the environment around an aircraft, by measuring the distance between the system and an objet, in addition to its spatial coordinates. Also, it allows data acquisition under any weather condition (night, rain, fog). A new kind of sensors, multi-pixel arrays with high sensitivity, seems in line with the needs of an accurate 3D mapping of a big area : high spatial resolution, longe range detection with centimeter accuracy and low acquisition time. There are 3D Geiger-mode focal plane arrays. Before an onboard use, it was necessary to analyze the operation of such a sensor, based on probabilities of detection. An end-to-end simulator reproducing the entire acquisition process has been implemented, then experimentally validated on ground and static cases. It finally allowed to demonstrate the potential and contribution of Geiger-mode focal plane arrays for long distance and high spatial resolution airborne 3D mapping.

The infrared and millimeter-wave portions of the spectrum both have their advantages for development of imaging systems. Because of the difference in wavelengths, infrared imagers offer inherently high resolution, while millimeter-wave systems have better penetration through atmospheric aerosols such as fog and smoke. Shared-aperture imaging systems employing a common focal-plane array that responds to both wavebands are desirable from the viewpoint of overall size and weight. We have developed antenna-coupled sensors that respond simultaneously at 30 THz and at 94 GHz, utilizing electron-beam lithography. Slot-antenna designs were found to be particularly suitable for coupling radiation into metal-oxide-metal (MOM) tunnel diodes at both frequencies. The MOM diodes are fabricated in a layered structure of Ni-NiO-Ni, and act as rectifying contacts. With contact areas as low as 120 nm × 120 nm, these diodes have time constants commensurate with rectification at frequencies across the desired millimeter-wave and infrared bands. One challenge in the development of true focal-plane array imagers across this factor-of-300 bandwidth is that the optimum spatial sampling interval on the focal plane is different in both bands. We have demonstrated a focal plane with interleaved infrared and millimeter-wave sensors by fabricating infrared antennas in the ground plane of the millimeter-wave antenna. Measured performance data in both bands are presented for individual antenna-coupled sensors as well as for devices in the dual-band focal-plane-array format.