Radiation imaging sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015144795-A1
Application number	US-201414547581-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	May 28, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a radiation imaging sensor with at least one detection element, which is implemented on a substrate as a micromechanical resonator and which absorbs the radiation to be detected. The resonator is set into a resonant oscillation with an excitation device and a shift in the resonance frequency of the detection element under exposure to radiation is detected with a detection device. The radiation sensor is characterized by the fact that it comprises a scanning device with a single-axis or multi-axis tiltable scanning element. The facility to tilt the device means that the detection element can be used to detect radiation from different directions. The imaging sensor can be realized in a compact manner and be economically produced.

First claim

1 . An imaging radiation sensor with
at least one detection element, which is implemented on a substrate as a micromechanical resonator and absorbs radiation to be detected, at least one excitation device, with which the detection element can be set into resonant oscillation and at least one detection device, with which a shift in the resonance frequency of the detection element can be detected, characterized in that the radiation sensor comprises a scanning device with a single-axis or multi-axis tiltable scanning element, via the tilting of which radiation from different directions can be detected with the detection element.

2 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the scanning element is formed by a frame which is suspended such that it can tilt and on which the detection element is fixed.

3 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the scanning element is implemented as a mirror element, by means of which the radiation to be detected is aimed directly or via one or a plurality of deflection elements onto the detection element.

4 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the detection element and the scanning element are arranged in a hermetically sealed cavity.

5 . The radiation sensor according to claim 4 ,
characterized in that at least one reference detection element with a further excitation device and a further detection device is arranged in the cavity, wherein the reference detection element does not lie in the beam path of the radiation to be detected.

6 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the detection element and the scanning element are implemented on a common substrate.

7 . The radiation sensor according to claim 4 ,
characterised in that the radiation sensor has a base substrate, the substrate with the at least one detection element and scanning element and a cover substrate, which are connected together.

8 . The radiation sensor according to claim 4 ,
characterised in that the cavity contains a getter material.

9 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the detection element is formed by a mechanically elastic spring element which is suspended or clamped on one side or on two sides.

10 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the detection element is formed by a mass suspended via one or a plurality of torsional springs.

11 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the excitation device comprises at least one electrode with which the detection element can be set into resonant oscillation via electrostatic forces.

12 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the excitation device comprises at least one piezoelectric element with which the detection element can be set into resonant oscillation via piezoelectric forces.

13 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the detection arrangement comprises a phase-locked loop for regulating the micromechanical resonator, with which the resonator is maintained at resonance.

14 . The radiation sensor according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that the radiation sensor comprises a plurality of the detection elements with excitation device and detection device, which are arranged on the substrate as a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array.

Assignees

• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Hofmann Ulrich
• Weiss Manfred
• Janes Joachim
• Senger Frank

Classifications

• G01J5/047 Primary

  Mobile mounting; Scanning arrangements · CPC title

• G01J5/44

  using change of resonant frequency, e.g. of piezoelectric crystals · CPC title

• G01J5/0871

  Beam switching arrangements; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• G01J5/045

  Sealings; Vacuum enclosures; Encapsulated packages; Wafer bonding structures; Getter arrangements (getter arrangements per se H10W76/48, H10P36/03) · CPC title