Patent US4994664A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4994664A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optically coupled focal plane arrays using lenslets and multiplexers
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•
Filing: 1989-03-27
•
Granted: 1991-02-19
•
Expires: 2009-03-27
Abstract
Abstract A detector array including a substrate having an array of diffractive lenses formed on the top side of the substrate and an array of sensor elements formed on the backside of the substrate. The sensor elements within the sensor array are oriented on the backside so that each sensor is aligned to receive light from a corresponding diffractive lens of the lens array. The detector array may also include a second substrate having an array of diffractive elements formed on one of its surfaces, the second substrate being disposed above and in proximity to the top side of the other substrate so that the elements on the second substrate are substantially aligned with corresponding sensor elements and diffractive lenses on the other substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Wilfrid B. Veldkamp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 12:01
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/107; G; G02; G02B; G02B3/00; G02B3/0006; G02B3/0037; G02B3/0056; G02B3/0062; G02B5/00; G02B5/18; G02B5/1876; G02B5/188; G02B5/1885; H10F77/00; H10F77/40; H10F77/413
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
63 words
A detector array comprising: a. a substrate having a top side and a back side; b. an array of curvilinear diffractive lenses formed on the top side of the substrate; c. an array of sensor elements formed on the back side of the substrate, the sensor elements being disposed so that each sensor is aligned with a corresponding lens within the lens array.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
63 words
A detector array comprising: a. a substrate having a top side and a back side; b. an array of curvilinear diffractive lenses formed on the top side of the substrate; c. an array of sensor elements formed on the back side of the substrate, the sensor elements being disposed so that each sensor is aligned with a corresponding lens within the lens array.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate is a semiconductor and the sensors are semiconductor devices formed within the substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The detector array as defined in claim 2, wherein the semiconductor devices are charge-coupled devices.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1, wherein the first substrate is composed of quartz.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1, wherein each lens in the array has a focal length which is approximately equal to the thickness of the substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1, wherein the lens array has a fill factor which is approximately equal to one and the sensor array has a fill factor which is substantially less than one.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1, wherein the area between the sensor elements on the back side of the substrate includes integrated circuitry adapted for focal plane processing of signals which are generated by the sensors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate is a semiconductor and the array of diffractive lenses is constructed within an oxide of the semiconductor formed on the top side of the substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1, wherein the diffractive lenses of the array of diffractive lenses are binary diffractive lenses.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
The detector array as defined in claim 1 further comprising a second substrate having another array of diffractive elements formed on one of its surfaces, wherein the second substrate is disposed above and in proximity to the top side of the other substrate so that the diffractive elements of the second substrate are substantially aligned with corresponding sensor elements and diffractive lenses of the other substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
The detector array as defined in claim 10, wherein the diffractive elements on the second substrate are wavefront multiplexers adapted to convert a light wavefront into a plurality of beams with controlled intensity ratios and directed at selected ones of the diffractive lenses on the array.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3746454A
Cited
US4410804A
Cited
US4644148A
Cited
US4649351A
Cited
US4708436A
Cited
US4878735A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-02-18 | 1994-08-20 | 1995-02-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-02-18 | 1998-08-20 | 1999-02-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-02-18 | 2002-08-20 | 2003-02-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |