Abstract: A radiation sensor that can operate in the THz regime comprising: a micro antenna, which may comprise a two-dimensional patterned thin-film metallizations on a thin dielectric pellicle fabricated by micro machining of a silicon wafer; a thermally isolated microstructure; a coupling mechanism for coupling the energy from the micro antenna to the microstructure, the coupling mechanism providing high thermal isolation between the micro antenna and the microstructure; a temperature signal detector on the microstructure; and signal processing electronics for receiving the temperature signal and processing it into useful data.

Abstract: A flow sensor system and a method for fabricating the same. A substrate is provided, comprising a detector wafer upon which a flow sensor is formed. One or more shells can then be configured upon the substrate whose walls form a flow channel. The flow channel is fabricated directly upon the substrate in a manner that allows the flow channel to couple heat transfer directly to the flow sensor in order to eliminate the need for two or more different types of sacrificial layers during the fabrication of the flow sensor upon the substrate and in which the shell(s) is coupled with fluidic measurement to provide for the flow sensor.

Abstract: A multi-substrate package assembly having a first substrate, a second substrate and a package, each with a number of bond pads. The package includes a cavity for receiving either or both of the first and second substrates, with a number of bond pads positioned along at least part of the periphery of the cavity. The first substrate and the second substrate are preferably positioned in the cavity of the package, with selected bond pads of the first substrate and second substrate electrically connected to selected bond pads of the package. In some embodiments, the bond pads of the first substrate are only connected to bond pads on one or more sides of the cavity, and the bond pads of the second substrate are only connected to bond pads on one or more of the remaining sides of the cavity. The packaging assembly of the present invention can be used in many applications, including spectrally tunable optical detectors.

Abstract: A light detector having spaced electrodes preset by pins or a spacer within a sealed enclosure. The detector may have a MEMS structure that is separate from the sealing of the enclosure. Further, the detector may have a lens for the transmission of light onto the elements. The lens may be coated to affect the amount of light admitted into the enclosure. Light detectable by the sensor may be ultra-violet.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a fluid containment structure for a micro analyzer comprising one or more shelled thermal structures in contact with a thermally isolated component of the analyzer and wherein the shelled thermal structure comprises a conformal film and also comprises three walls of a channel and the thermally isolated component forms the fourth wall.

Abstract: A method of thermally coupling a flow tube or like component to a thermal sensor comprises bonding the component to the thermal sensor such that thermally conductive portions formed on the component are thermally coupled to corresponding sensing/heating elements disposed on the thermal sensor. The method can be employed to form a capillary mass flow sensor system. Thermally conductive portions, such as metal bands, can be formed on the outer surface of a capillary tube for bonding with corresponding resistive heat sensing and heating elements disposed on the substrate of a micro mass flow sensor. Bonding metal pads can be formed on the sensor surface preparatory to solder bonding the tube metal bands to the resistive sensing and heating elements.

Abstract: A system for determining a gas pressure or gauging a vacuum in a hermetically sealed enclosure. One or more heater structures and one or more temperature sensor structures situated on a substrate may be used in conjunction for measuring a thermal conductivity of a gas in the enclosure. Each heater has significant thermal isolation from each sensor structure. Electronics connected to each heater and sensor of their respective structures may provide processing to calculate the pressure or vacuum in the enclosure. The enclosure may contain various electronic components such as bolometers.

Abstract: A light detector having a cathode wafer, a cavity wafer and an anode wafer. The cathode wafer may be bonded to one side of the cavity wafer and the anode wafer may be bonded to another side of the cavity wafer. The cathode wafer may have numerous cathodes, the anode wafer numerous anodes and the cavity wafer numerous cavities which may be aligned on a one-to-one basis to form a wafer structure of a plurality of detectors which may be diced into separable detector chips. When there is a voltage potential across a cathode and an anode, and a gas such as Ne or the like in the cavity, a reception of light such as ultra violet may result in an electronic discharge between the cathode and anode of the light detector.

Abstract: A spectrally tunable optical detector and methods of manufacture therefore are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the tunable optical detector includes a tunable bandpass filter, a detector and readout electronics, each supported by a different substrate. The substrates are secured relative to one another to form the spectrally tunable optical detector.

Abstract: A radiation sensor that can operate in the THz regime comprising: a micro antenna, which may comprise a two-dimensional patterned thin-film metallizations on a thin dielectric pellicle fabricated by micro machining of a silicon wafer; a thermally isolated microstructure; a coupling mechanism for coupling the energy from the micro antenna to the microstructure, the coupling mechanism providing high thermal isolation between the micro antenna and the microstructure; a temperature signal detector on the microstructure; and signal processing electronics for receiving the temperature signal and processing it into useful data.

Abstract: A structure having a substrate, patterned metal layer and a catalyst island formed on the metal layer. The surface of the substrate upon which the metal layer is formed may be oxidized. As an illustrative example, the metal may be HfN and the catalyst island may be iron, nickel, or the like. The resulting structure may be placed in an environment having a carbon-containing gas, a temperature between 500 and 1200 degrees C., and an electric field. A nanotube may grow from the catalyst island. A method including the combining of hafnium and nitrogen may be used to make the nanotube growing structure.

Abstract: An integrated vacuum package having an added volume on a perimeter within the perimeter of a bonding seal between two wafers. The added volume of space may be an etching of material from the inside surface of the top wafer. This wafer may have vent holes that may be sealed to maintain a vacuum within the volume between the two wafers after the pump out of gas and air. The inside surface of the top wafer may have an anti-reflective pattern. Also, an anti-reflective pattern may be on the outside surface of the top wafer. The seal between the two wafers may be ring-like and have a spacer material. Also, it may have a malleable material such as solder to compensate for any flatness variation between the two facing surfaces of the wafers.

Abstract: A sensor having a nanotube grown on and supported by thermal bimorph structures. The nanotube rests on a heat sink during sensing gas or a liquid and is moved from the heat sink when the nanotube is heated to desorb gas or liquid from it. The heatsink may function as a gate along with the bimorph structures as the other terminals of a transistor. Current-voltage and current-gate voltage characteristics may be obtained of the nanotube as a device like a transistor. These characteristics may provide information on a gas or liquid absorbed by the nanotube.

Abstract: A thermal sensor structure having one level for an infrared detecting pixel including the sensor associated electronics. The electronics displace a small area thereby having little effect on the fill area of the pixel relative to a level having no pixel electronics. That level has thermally isolation for the substrate through the limited structural attachment to the substrate because of the access vias to the silicon. It has additional isolation because of a pit of removed silicon from the substrate below that one level. The thermal sensor may have an array with a large number of pixels having the one level for the pixels and electronics structure.

Abstract: A tunable bolometer device for detecting infrared light (IR) from a target at specific frequencies and in a broadband mode. The device may have an array of pixels of which each is controllable to be sensitive to a particular wavelength of light that is selected and detected. The detection of particular frequencies on a pixel level may result in spectral analysis of the target. Further, each pixel of the bolometer via an associated etalon may be tuned to detect a different frequency of IR or be switched to broadband detection of IR. The device may be packaged in an integrated vacuum package where the etalon array becomes the topcap which is bonded to the wafer containing the bolometer array.

Abstract: A spectrally tunable optical detector and methods of manufacture therefore are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the tunable optical detector includes a tunable bandpass filter, a detector and readout electronics, each supported by a different substrate. The substrates are secured relative to one another to form the spectrally tunable optical detector.

Abstract: A projection system for presenting infrared scenes having biological and chemical agents, simulants and objects such as battlefield items. The generated scenes are primarily for the evaluation of infrared sensors, cameras and stand-off detectors. The system may have two or more projectors that combine various scenes into one scene having components with modified or imposed spectra signatures. Also, the system may generate a dynamic series of scenes that show synthetic scenarios of moving objects, agent clouds, non-toxic simulants and other items.

Abstract: A spectrally tunable optical detector and methods of manufacture therefore are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the tunable optical detector includes a tunable bandpass filter, a detector and readout electronics, each supported by a different substrate. The substrates are secured relative to one another to form the spectrally tunable optical detector.

Abstract: A sensor having a nanotube grown on and supported by thermal bimorph structures. The nanotube rests on a heat sink during sensing gas or a liquid and is moved from the heat sink when the nanotube is heated to desorb gas or liquid from it. The heatsink may function as a gate along with the bimorph structures as the other terminals of a transistor. Current-voltage and current-gate voltage characteristics may be obtained of the nanotube as a device like a transistor. These characteristics may provide information on a gas or liquid absorbed by the nanotube.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a wafer-pair having at least one recess in one wafer and the recess formed into a chamber with the attaching of the other wafer which has a port plugged with a deposited layer on its external surface. The deposition of the layer may be performed in a very low pressure environment, thus assuring the same kind of environment in the sealed chamber. The chamber may enclose at least one device such as a thermoelectric sensor, bolometer, emitter or other kind of device. The wafer-pair typically will have numerous chambers, with devices, respectively, and may be divided into a multiplicity of chips.