Optical readout photomechanical imager: from design to implementation

In an optical-readout photomechanical imager, the infrared sensor array is physically separated from the ROIC. The modularity of the optical readout architecture allows for extra design freedom that is not possible in bolometers, negating fundamental trade-offs, such as NETD versus thermal time constant. For successful commercialization, the photomechanical imager must meet application-specific performance and functional targets, and to this end, Agiltron has advanced the photomechanical imaging platform over several technology generations. Improvements have been made to both the optical readout system and the photomechanical sensor chip, which enabled reductions in size, weight, and power (SWAP) and NETD over successive generations. The current-generation photomechanical imager has the size equivalent to a digital camera and an ƒ/1-equivalent NETD and MDTD of less than 100 mK.