Thermal imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10620053-B2
Application number	US-201715607173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A thermal imaging system comprises a substrate, stacked graphene arrays on the substrate, and a number of bandpass filters separating the stacked graphene arrays.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a thermal imaging system, the method comprising:
depositing graphene onto a substrate to form a first array of graphene sensors of the thermal imaging system, the first array of graphene sensors having a first thickness configured to receive energy having a first wavelength from a structure due to penetration of energy;
placing a first material onto the first array of graphene sensors to form a first bandpass filter; and
depositing a second layer of graphene onto the first bandpass filter to form a second array of graphene sensors of the thermal imaging system, the second array of graphene sensors having a second thickness configured to receive energy having a second wavelength from the structure due to penetration of energy, wherein the first wavelength is longer than the second wavelength.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
placing a second material onto the second array of graphene sensors to form a second bandpass filter, wherein the first bandpass filter absorbs a range of longer wavelengths of energy than the second bandpass filter; and
depositing a third layer of graphene onto the second bandpass filter to form a third array of graphene sensors.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
placing a third material onto the third array of graphene sensors to form a third bandpass filter, wherein the second bandpass filter absorbs a range of longer wavelengths of energy than the third bandpass filter.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first bandpass filter and the second bandpass filter are both configured to absorb infrared energy, and wherein the first bandpass filter is configured to absorb a range of wavelengths between the first wavelength and the second wavelength so that the first bandpass filter provides a desirable difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first thickness of the first array of graphene sensors and the second thickness of the second array of graphene sensors has a thickness of about 10-50 microns.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
depositing material onto the substrate to form a plurality of transmission or communication lines for the first array of graphene sensors.

7. A method comprising:
positioning a thermal imaging system facing a structure, the thermal imaging system comprising a first array of graphene sensors on a substrate, a second array of graphene sensors stacked on top of the first array of graphene sensors, and a first bandpass filter between the first array of graphene sensors and the second array of graphene sensors;
receiving energy from the structure having a first wavelength at the first array of graphene sensors, wherein the first array of graphene sensors receives the energy based on a first thickness of the first array of graphene sensors and penetration of the energy having the first wavelength;
receiving energy from the structure having a second wavelength at the second array of graphene sensors, wherein the first wavelength is longer than the second wavelength, and wherein the second array of graphene sensors receives the energy based on a second thickness of the second array of graphene sensors and penetration of the energy having the second wavelength; and
determining a temperature of the structure using a measurement of the energy having the first wavelength and a measurement of the energy having the second wavelength.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
filtering energy having a range of wavelengths between the first wavelength and the second wavelength using the first bandpass filter.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the thermal imaging system further comprises a third array of graphene sensors, the method further comprising:
receiving energy having a third wavelength at the third array of graphene sensors, wherein the second wavelength is longer than the third wavelength; and
wherein determining a temperature of the structure uses a measurement of the energy having the third wavelength.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the thermal imaging system further comprises a second bandpass filter between the second array of graphene sensors and the third array of graphene sensors, the method further comprising:
filtering energy having a range of wavelengths between the second wavelength and the third wavelength using the second bandpass filter.

11. A thermal imaging system comprising:
a substrate;
stacked graphene arrays on the substrate, each graphene array configured to receive energy having a respective wavelength, wherein each graphene array receives the energy based on a respective thickness of the graphene array and penetration of the energy having the respective wavelength; and
a number of bandpass filters separating the stacked graphene arrays, wherein each bandpass filter of the number of bandpass filters is sandwiched between two respective graphene arrays of the stacked graphene arrays.

12. The thermal imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the stacked graphene arrays comprise a first array of graphene sensors on the substrate and a second array of graphene sensors stacked on top of the first array of graphene sensors; and wherein the number of bandpass filters comprises a first bandpass filter between the first array of graphene sensors and the second array of graphene sensors.

13. The thermal imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the stacked graphene arrays further comprise a third array of graphene sensors stacked on top of the second array of graphene sensors; and wherein the number of bandpass filters further comprises a second bandpass filter between the second array of graphene sensors and the third array of graphene sensors.

14. The thermal imaging system of claim 13 , wherein the first bandpass filter absorbs a range of longer wavelengths of energy than the second bandpass filter.

15. The thermal imaging system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a third bandpass filter on top of the third array of graphene sensors, wherein the second bandpass filter absorbs a range of longer wavelengths of energy than the third bandpass filter.

16. The thermal imaging system of claim 11 , wherein each of the stacked graphene arrays on the substrate has a thickness of about 10-50 microns.

17. The thermal imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the thermal imaging system is connected to a camera configured to process measurements received from the thermal imaging system.

18. The thermal imaging system of claim 17 , wherein each of the stacked graphene arrays is connected to a respective plurality of transmission or communication lines.

19. The method of claim 7 wherein the thermal imaging system is directed towards the structure such that the first array of graphene sensors and the second array of graphene sensors face a surface of the structure.

20. The thermal imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the thermal imaging system is directed towards a structure such that the stacked graphene arrays face a surface of the structure.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Safai Morteza

Classifications

• G01J5/20

  using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices · CPC title

• G01J5/10

  using electric radiation detectors · CPC title

• G01J5/0853

  having infrared absorbers other than the usual absorber layers deposited on infrared detectors like bolometers, wherein the heat propagation between the absorber and the detecting element occurs within a solid · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• G01J5/0881

  Compact construction · CPC title