Infrared imaging arrays are well established in a wide range of industries and consumer applications. Thermopile arrays are the state-of-the-art solution for cost-effective thermal imaging at relatively low resolutions below 10 000 px. Typical applications include hand held thermal imaging, security cameras, remote temperature measurement and industrial process control. Unlike alternative approaches, thermopile arrays enable truly shutterless radiometric IR cameras. They are widely available in resolutions ranging from 8×8 to 80×64 px with all necessary signal conditioning and readout electronics (including the SPI interface) monolithically integrated on the sensor chip and with optics included. The physical size of the pixels in the array is a limiting factor for their resolution. The standard 90 μm pixels typically achieve resolutions below the mid resolution range (below 10,000 px). Here, we introduce Heimann Sensor GmbH’s new thermopile arrays† with 60 μm and 45 μm μm pixel sizes enabling an increase in resolution from the low resolution range to the mid resolution range of >10,000 px. This allows the application range to be further extended into higher density thermal imaging and lower cost security and surveillance applications, as well as to infrared computer vision.

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Joerg Schieferdecker, Michael Schnorr, Bodo Forg, Frank Hermann, Christian Schmidt, Wilhelm Leneke, Marion Simon, and Tim Prangemeier, "New higher resolution thermopile arrays for IR imaging and surveillance," Proc. SPIE 12534, Infrared Technology and Applications XLIX, 125341F (Presented at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing: May 04, 2023; Published: 13 June 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2668428.