Room-temperature, thin-film, pbs photoconductive detector hardened against laser damage

Claim 2

A thin-film infrared detector hardened against damage from laser irradiation comprising: a thin film of material sensitive to infrared radiation; a thin substrate upon the front-surface of which said thin film is deposited, said substrate having a high thermal conductivity to provide efficient heat flow from said thin film through said substrate, said substrate having a surface area that is large relative to the absorbing area of said thin film so that heat generated by irradiation will be distributed transversely within said substrate; a heat sink; and an interface of negligible thermal impedance between said substrate and said heat sink for removing heat from said substrate.

Claim 3

The detector of claim 1 wherein said thin film comprises lead sulfide.

Claim 4

The detector as recited in claim 1, wherein said interface of negligible thermal impedance comprises: a metalized back surface of said substrate, said back surface being metallized with a metal of high thermal conductivity; and a bonding layer of high thermal conductivity between said back-surface and said heat sink.

Claim 5

The detector of claim 3 wherein said bonding layer comprises solder.

Claim 6

The detector of claim 3 wherein said thin substrate is sapphire.

Claim 7

The detector of claim 3 wherein said thin substrate is silicon.

Claim 8

A thin-film, photoconductive, infrared detector hardened against damage from laser irradiation comprising: a thin film of photoconductor material sensitive to infrared radiation; a thin substrate upon the front-surface of which said thin film is deposited, said substrate having a high thermal conductivity to provide efficient heat flow from said thin film through said substrate, said substrate having a surface area that is large relative to the absorbing area of said thin film so that heat generated by said irradiation will be distributed transversely within said substrate, the back surface of said substrate being metallized with a metal of high thermal conductivity; a bonding layer of high thermal conductivity; and a heat buffer upon which said substrate is mounted, contact being made between said buffer and the metalized back surface of said substrate by said bonding layer said heat buffer having a high thermal conductivity to remove heat from said interface as rapidly as possible and redistribute it throughout the entire buffer to eliminate heat buildup in the region behind said interface, said heat buffer having a large thermal mass to act as a high-specific-heat thermal reservoir.

Claim 9

A thin-film, photoconductive, infrared detector hardened against damage from laser irradiation comprising: a thin film of photoconductor material sensitive to infrared radiation; a thin substrate upon the front-surface of which said thin film is deposited, said substrate having a high thermal conductivity to provide efficient heat flow from said thin film through said substrate, said substrate having a surface area that is large relative to the absorbing area of said thin film so that heat generated by said irradiation will be distributed transversely within said substrate, the back surface of said substrate being metallized with a metal of high thermal conductivity; a bonding layer of high thermal conductivity; and a heat buffer upon which said substrate is mounted, contact being made between said buffer and the metalized back surface of said substrate by said bonding layer said heat buffer having a high thermal conductivity to remove heat from said interface as rapidly as possible and redistribute it throughout the entire buffer to eliminate heat buildup in the region behind said interface, said heat buffer having a large thermal mass to act as a high-specific-heat thermal reservoir.

Claim 10

The detector of claim 7 further comprising a heat sink in good thermal contact with said heat buffer for removing heat from said heat buffer.

Claim 11

The detector of claim 7 wherein said thin substrate is sapphire.

Claim 12

The detector of claim 7 wherein said thin film comprises lead sulfide.

Claim 13

The detector of claim 10 wherein said heat buffer comprises copper.

Claim 14

The detector of claim 10 wherein said thin substrate is silicon.

Claim 15

A thin-film, photoconductive, infrared detector hardened against damage from laser irradiation comprising: a thin film of photoconductor material sensitive to infrared radiation; a thin substrate upon the front-surface of which said thin film is deposited, said substrate having a high thermal conductivity to provide efficient heat flow from said thin film through said substrate, said substrate having a surface area that is large relative to the absorbing area of said thin film so that heat generated by said irradiation will be distributed transversely within said substrate; an interface of negligible thermal impedance located on the back-surface of said substrate; and a heat buffer upon which said substrate is mounted, contact being made with said buffer by said interface, said heat buffer having a high thermal conductivity to remove heat from said interface as rapidly as possible and redistribute it throughout the entire buffer to eliminate heat buildup in the region behind said interface, said heat buffer having a large thermal mass to act as a high-specific-heat thermal reservoir.

Claim 16

A thin-film, photoconductive, infrared detector hardened against damage from laser irradiation comprising: a thin film of photoconductor material sensitive to infrared radiation; a thin substrate upon the front-surface of which said thin film is deposited, said substrate having a high thermal conductivity to provide efficient heat flow from said thin film through said substrate, said substrate having a surface area that is large relative to the absorbing area of said thin film so that heat generated by said irradiation will be distributed transversely within said substrate; an interface of negligible thermal impedance located on the back-surface of said substrate; and a heat buffer upon which said substrate is mounted, contact being made with said buffer by said interface, said heat buffer having a high thermal conductivity to remove heat from said interface as rapidly as possible and redistribute it throughout the entire buffer to eliminate heat buildup in the region behind said interface, said heat buffer having a large thermal mass to act as a high-specific-heat thermal reservoir.

Claim 17

The detector of claim 13 further comprising a heat sink in good thermal contact with said heat buffer for removing heat from said buffer.

Claim 18

The detector as recited in claim 13 wherein said interface of negligible thermal impedance comprises: a metalized back-surface of said substrate, and a bonding layer of high thermal conductivity between said back-surface and said heat sink.

Claim 19

A detector of claim 15 wherein said bonding layer comprises solder.