Micromachined Infrared Sensors on Flexible Substrates

柔性基板上的微机械红外传感器

• 批准号: 0119261
• 负责人: Zeynep Celik-Butler
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Southern Methodist University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-08-01 至 2002-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0119261&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Micromachined; Infrared; Sensors; Flexible; Substrates

The increasing sophistication of automated systems has allowed more complex unmanned tasks to be performed. However, robotic instruments lack the ability to perceive and interact with their environment in the same way humans can. Simultaneously, humans operating remote instruments are limited by the "lack of feel" they are accustomed to in their own activity. Robotic instruments currently use localized-sensors to measure their environment. This has been necessitated by the inflexibility of microelectronic devices. Recently innovations in flexible substrates, polymer semiconductors, and thin film transistors have occurred. The PIs propose to investigate the development of a flexible skin that incorporates distributed monolithic sensor arrays to provide a greater measurement of the environment. Micromachined sensors are capable of measuring pressure, flow, temperature, and radiant energy. This investigation will focus on the development of micromachined sensors over the surface of a polymer substrate or "artificial skin". The Pls will utilize micromachined infrared microbolometers and thermal emitters as a test bed towards the development of micromachining techniques on flexible polymer substrates that are relevant to a broad base of applications. Integrating distributed, staring microbolometer arrays over the surface of a flexible skin can allow a robot to remotely measure temperature and avoid hot objects that can cause damage. The distributed arrays of detectors spaced with a millimeter pitch will provide "insect-like" vision. The motion of hot objects such as people can be tracked. Microlensed optical detectors will measure the optical radiation flux; thin film reference thermometers will measure the substrate (skin) temperature, while the thermal emitters will be used for display purposes or may be combined with detector arrays and gratings to produce a micro-spectrometer. The ability to flex would allow the devices to be incorporated and distributed over compliant surfaces such as the fabric of gloves for humans and machines to provide operators a remote sense of touch and feel of temperature both in-contact and in-proximity to the skin. In addition, chemical analysis is possible using these micro-spectrometers. Wearable infrared spectrometers using flexible substrates would allow people to monitor physiological parameters such as glucose and insulin levels, scan for bacteriological agents and toxic gases.

自动化系统的复杂性越来越复杂，可以执行更复杂的无人任务。但是，机器人工具缺乏与人类相同的方式感知和与环境互动的能力。同时，操作远程乐器的人受到“缺乏感觉”的限制，他们习惯了自己的活动。机器人仪器目前使用局部传感器来测量其环境。微电子设备的僵化性使这是必要的。最近发生了柔性底物，聚合物半导体和薄膜晶体管的创新。 PI提议研究柔性皮肤的发展，该皮肤结合了分布式整体传感器阵列，以提供更大的环境测量。微机械传感器能够测量压力，流量，温度和辐射能量。这项研究将集中于在聚合物底物或“人造皮肤”表面上的微机械传感器的发展。 PLS将利用微机械红外微型计量机和热发射器作为测试床，以开发与柔性聚合物底物上与广泛应用相关的柔性聚合物基板的开发。在柔性皮肤的表面上整合分布式的，凝视的微光计阵列可以使机器人远程测量温度并避免可能造成损坏的热物体。用毫米螺距间隔的探测器的分布阵列将提供“昆虫样”视觉。可以跟踪像人之类的热物体的运动。微晶光学检测器将测量光辐射通量；薄膜参考温度计将测量底物（皮肤）温度，而热量发射器将用于显示目的，或可以与检测器阵列和光栅结合使用以产生微光谱计。弯曲的能力将使设备被合并并分布在合规表面，例如人类和机器的手套的结构，从而为操作员提供了远程接触和温度的感受和对皮肤的接触感和感染感。另外，使用这些微光谱仪可以化学分析。使用柔性底物的可穿戴红外光谱仪将使人们能够监测葡萄糖和胰岛素水平等生理参数，扫描细菌学剂和有毒气体。