Electromagnetic radiation detector

Claim 2

A radiation detector comprising: an array of micromachined cantilever elements, each cantilever element including first and second layers with the first layer being formed of a first radiation absorbing material and the second layer being formed of a second highly reflective material; the first and second materials have different coefficients of thermal expansion whereby each cantilever element bends in proportion to the amount of radiation energy absorbed by the first layer and converted into heat, each cantilever element being formed such that its first radiation absorbing layer is exposed to enable it to directly receive, without any intervening layer, incident electromagnetic signals emitted by an object whose image is to be detected and its second highly reflective layer is exposed to enable it to directly receive and reflect, without any intervening layer, illumination incident thereon; and means for illuminating the second layer of each cantilever element of the array for sensing the angle of light reflected from each cantilever element and determining the amount of radiation energy absorbed by each cantilever element of the array.

Claim 3

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first layer is comprised of a layer of silicon nitride and wherein said second layer is comprised of a layer of aluminum.

Claim 4

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the thickness of the first layer ranges from 10 nanometers to 20 micrometers and the thickness of the second layer ranges from 10 nanometers to 20 micrometers.

Claim 5

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the array of cantilever elements is formed on a substrate, wherein each cantilever element is attached at one end to the substrate with the remaining sides of each cantilever element being detached from the substrate, whereby each cantilever element is free to bend about a rest position.

Claim 6

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the substrate region under each cantilever element is removed to form each cantilever such that its first and second layers are fully exposed.

Claim 7

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for projecting light onto the second layer includes means for sweeping a light beam across the second layer of each cantilever element.

Claim 8

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 6 wherein said means for sweeping a beam of light includes a lens arrangement for causing the light beam being swept across each cantilever element to be projected onto each cantilever element, one at a time and at the same angle.

Claim 9

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 7, wherein said beam of light is a laser light source.

Claim 10

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for sensing the amount light reflected from each cantilever element of the array includes a photodetector.

Claim 11

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 9, wherein said photodetector includes an array of photodetecting elements.

Claim 12

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 9, wherein said photodetector includes a one-dimensional array of photodetecting elements.

Claim 13

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 9, wherein said photodetector is a two segment photodiode.

Claim 14

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radiation absorbing material of each cantilever element is designed to absorb electromagnetic radiation energy.

Claim 15

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the means for illuminating the cantilevers is a point light source.

Claim 16

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cantilever array is a two-dimensional array.

Claim 17

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cantilever array is a one-dimensional array.

Claim 18

A radiation detector comprising: an array of micromachined cantilever elements, each cantilever element including first and second layers with the first layer being formed of a first radiation absorbing material and the second layer being formed of a second highly reflective material; the first and second materials have different coefficients of thermal expansion whereby each cantilever element bends in proportion to the amount of radiation energy absorbed by the first layer and converted into heat, each cantilever element being formed such that its first radiation absorbing layer is exposed to enable it to directly receive, without any intervening layer, incident electromagnetic signals emitted by an object whose image is to be detected and its second highly reflective layer is exposed to enable it to directly receive and reflect, without any intervening layer, illumination incident thereon; the first layer of all the cantilever elements of the array being arranged for receiving electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals; and the second layer of all the cantilever elements of the array being arranged for receiving incident illumination and each cantilever element reflecting the incident illumination at an angle proportional to the extent it is bent.

Claim 19

A radiation detector comprising: an array of micromachined cantilever elements, each cantilever element including first and second layers with the first layer being formed of a first radiation absorbing material and the second layer being formed of a second highly reflective material; the first and second materials have different coefficients of thermal expansion whereby each cantilever element bends in proportion to the amount of radiation energy absorbed by the first layer and converted into heat, each cantilever element being formed such that its first radiation absorbing layer is exposed to enable it to directly receive, without any intervening layer, incident electromagnetic signals emitted by an object whose image is to be detected and its second highly reflective layer is exposed to enable it to directly receive and reflect, without any intervening layer, illumination incident thereon; the first layer of all the cantilever elements of the array being arranged for receiving electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals; and the second layer of all the cantilever elements of the array being arranged for receiving incident illumination and each cantilever element reflecting the incident illumination at an angle proportional to the extent it is bent.

Claim 20

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 17 including a light source and means for projecting light from said light source onto said second layer.

Claim 21

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 17 wherein the thickness of the first layer ranges from 10 nanometers to 20 micrometers and the thickness of the second layer ranges from 10 nanometers to 20 micrometers.

Claim 22

A radiation detector comprising: an array of micromachined cantilever elements, each cantilever element including first and second layers with the first layer being formed of a first radiation absorbing material and the second layer being formed of a second highly reflective material; the first and second materials have different coefficients of thermal expansion whereby each cantilever element bends in proportion to the amount of radiation energy absorbed by the first layer and converted into heat; and means for illuminating the second layer of each cantilever element of the array including means for sweeping a light beam across the second layer of each cantilever element for sensing the angle of light reflected from each cantilever element and determining the amount of radiation energy absorbed by each cantilever element of the array.

Claim 23

A radiation detector comprising: an array of micromachined cantilever elements, each cantilever element including first and second layers with the first layer being formed of a first radiation absorbing material and the second layer being formed of a second highly reflective material; the first and second materials have different coefficients of thermal expansion whereby each cantilever element bends in proportion to the amount of radiation energy absorbed by the first layer and converted into heat; and means for illuminating the second layer of each cantilever element of the array including means for sweeping a light beam across the second layer of each cantilever element for sensing the angle of light reflected from each cantilever element and determining the amount of radiation energy absorbed by each cantilever element of the array.

Claim 24

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 20 wherein said means for sweeping a beam of light includes a lens arrangement for causing the light beam to be swept across each cantilever element to be projected onto each cantilever element, one at a time and at the same angle.

Claim 25

A radiation detector as claimed in claim 21, wherein said beam of light is a laser light source.