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We review a wide range of absorbers based on patterned resistive sheets for use in mid-wave and long-wave infrared microbolometers. These structures range from wavelength selective dielectric coated Salisbury screens to patterned resistive sheets to stacked multi-spectral devices. For basic three color devices in the LWIR band we have designed and fabricated wavelength selective dielectric coated Salisbury screen (DSS) absorbers suitable for use in microbolometers. In order to produce wavelength selective narrowband absorption, the general design rules for DSS microbolometers show that the thickness of the air gap should be a half wavelength and the optical thickness of the dielectric support layer should be a quarter wavelength. This structure is also air gap tunable; i.e., by varying only air gap thickness, the center wavelength of the absorption curve is shifted. FTIR microscope measurements have been made on a number of the different devices demonstrating three color capability in the LWIR while maintain very high efficiency absorption. We have also shown that the use of a patterned resistive sheet consisting of a properly sized array of cross-shaped holes acts as a polarization independent frequency-selective absorber allowing a three-color system spanning the 7-14 micron band. For realistic metal layers the skin effect produces complex surface impedance that can be quite large in the LWIR band. We have shown that metal layers of thickness between one and three skin depths can act as the absorber layer, and have shown that thick metal layers can still produce excellent absorption in the LWIR. Holes in the dielectric support layer also reduce the thermal mass in the system without compromising spectral selectivity. Broadband designs using rectangular holes that produce substantially reduced thermal mass (over 50%) while maintaining efficient spectral absorption have also been found. Finally, we have considered multispectral stacked structures, including Jaumann absorbers and stacked dipole/slot patterned resistive sheets. These structures promise either two band (MWIR/LWIR) or two to three color LWIR in a multi-layer stacked pixel.
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