The success of uncooled infrared imaging in commercial and military markets has greatly increased the number of participants in the field, and, consequently, the variety of products available and in development. The intent of this course is to provide attendees a broad view of the field as well as an in-depth look at important technologies. The course describes the fundamentals of uncooled IR imaging arrays, emphasizing resistive bolometric and ferroelectric/pyroelectric detectors, but also including a number of innovative technologies such as thermally activated cantilevers, thin films with temperature-dependent optical transmission properties, and thermal-capacitive detectors. Students will learn the fundamentals of uncooled IR sensors, how the various technologies operate, the merits and deficiencies of the different technologies, quantitative metrics for evaluating and comparing performance, and how key factors influence those metrics. The course also explores the limits of performance of uncooled IR imaging, as well as trends to be expected in future products. To increase the utility of the material, this course has been updated to provide a step-by-step overview of on selecting the type and characteristics of an uncooled Focal Plane Array (FPA) for an example system.

The interest created by the success of uncooled infrared imaging in commercial and military markets has given rise to a number of innovative methods of producing real-time infrared imagery such as thermally activated cantilevers, thin films with temperature-dependent optical transmission properties, thin-film pyroelectric devices, and thermal-capacitive detectors. This course provides attendees with a basic working knowledge of emerging uncooled IR sensor technologies. The course provides an overview of the merits and deficiencies of technology groups as well as of specific technologies, as compared to currently-available products. It also provides quantitative metrics for evaluating the performance potential of each, with specific examples to illustrate the key factors influencing responsivity and noise performance.

Uncooled infrared focal plane arrays expand the military and commercial markets for thermal imaging systems. This course describes uncooled arrays, including resistive bolometric and ferroelectric/ pyroelectric detectors. Capabilities and limits are described.