Mr. Peter Fairley Profile

Peter Fairley

at QinetiQ

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Proceedings Article | 15 December 2000 Paper

Solid state modulator for thermal imaging applications

Paul Manning, Peter Fairley

Proceedings Volume 4130, (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.409870

KEYWORDS: Modulators, Absorption, Germanium, Sensors, Modulation, Surface finishing, Thermography, Imaging systems, Infrared radiation, Etching

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The staring array is the basis of many modern thermal imaging systems, cooled and uncooled. A major drawback in all staring array thermal imaging systems is the need to provide thermal referencing in order that the non-uniformity inherent in all IR detector technologies can be corrected. A common approach is to use a mechanical shutter operated intermittently, typical of uncooled resistance bolometers and cooled photon detectors, or a rotating chopper, typical of ferroelectric uncooled bolometers. Although these methods are inexpensive and consume little power, they are inappropriate to environments where high g-forces or shock loads are encountered. This paper describes a solid state modulator operating on the 8-12micrometers band. The modulation mechanism is induced absorption in high-purity intrinsic germanium. Electron-hole pairs are created in the germanium modulator; the electrons are weak absorbers but the holes absorb strongly by means of the light-hole/heavy-hole inter-sub-band transition. The transmission of the modulator can thus be varied by varying the hole concentration, for example by illuminating the modulator with near IR light. Very good modulation depth (5% to 90% transmission) has been measured, at optical power densities of approximately 10 W/cm². Switching speeds are controlled by the carrier lifetime, and are a few milliseconds in our prototype device. The high power requirement rules out this approach for hand-held applications. However for intermittent use, or where the environmental constraints are dominant, this technology offers a potentially robust 8-12micrometers modulator.

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