Research/Patents/US 5559331
US 5559331

SPLIT-RING INFRARED DETECTOR

Assignee

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORP OF COMMONWEALTH OF PA

Filed

Dec 24, 1990

Granted

Sep 24, 1996

Location

GLENWOOD MD US

Abstract

A resonant, photoconductive detector for infrared radiation in which a reduced-volume pattern of the photoconductor permits impedance-matching to free space. The photoconductor pattern is a split-ring pattern, typically made of HgCdTe, which is virtually cylindrically symmetric, yielding a non-polarization-sensitive response. The region below the patterned photoconductor is a quarter-wavelength resonant cavity type structure. The ohmic contacts are conductively distanced from one another by use of the split-ring pattern. Spacing dimensions are slightly less than a wavelength for the infrared wavelengths to be absorbed; but ring-width dimensions of the photoconductor are substantially less to effect the volume reduction and the corresponding detectivity and radiation-hardness improvements. The essentially cylindrical isotropic pattern eases fabrication by averaging etching nonuniformities.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Imposed

Sep 13, 1991

Rescinded

Mar 19, 1996

Duration

4 years, 6 months

Inventor

  • 1RICHARD C. MC KEE

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Back to patent indexSource: USPTO 35 USC §181 secrecy order records