Micromachined infrared sensors using tunneling displacement transducers

Uncooled infrared sensors are important for a number of technological and scientific measurements. We have designed, built, and tested a new uncooled infrared sensor which is made by silicon micromachining. This infrared sensor uses a tunneling displacement transducer to detect the thermal expansion of a small volume of trapped gas. Prototype devices based on this design have been operated with NEP better than 3×10−10 W/√Hz at 25 Hz, which is competitive with the best comparably sized uncooled sensors available. This article will describe the design, fabrication, and operation of all elements of this sensor.