Importance

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Abstract

An improved ferroelectric imaging system comprises a chopper, lens system, ferroelectric detector matrix, switching matrix, temperature controlled heat sink, drive and read out electronics, video processor and display. The chopper interrupts infrared energy emanating from a scene, and the lens system focuses the chopped infrared energy on the ferroelectric detector matrix which produces electrical signals representative of the infrared energy impinging thereon. The signals are read out by the drive and read out electronics whose action is synchronized with the chopper action, processed in the video processor and displayed by the display. The ferroelectric detector matrix comprises a plurality of detector capacitor elements whose top plates are formed by conductor stripes longitudinally disposed on a dielectric of ferroelectric material and whose lower plates are a plurality of metal pads formed on the dielectric. The switching matrix includes a plurality of solid state switches operatively connected to the lower plates of the detector capacitor elements, a bias source, and drive and readout electronics. The address means operates the switches for selectively charging corresponding detector capacitor elements, and reading out the electrical signals representative of the impinging infrared energy, whereby shunt capacitance between each capacitor in a charged column and each capacitor in an adjacent noncharged column is alleviated and fixed pattern noise is eliminated.

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First Claim