Uncooled infrared sensors are important for a number of technological and scientific measurements. We have designed, built, and tested a new uncooled infrared sensor which is made by silicon micromachining. This infrared sensor uses a tunneling displacement transducer to detect the thermal expansion of a small volume of trapped gas. Prototype devices based on this design have been operated with NEP better than 3×10−10 W/√Hz at 25 Hz, which is competitive with the best comparably sized uncooled sensors available. This article will describe the design, fabrication, and operation of all elements of this sensor.

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A series of displacement transducers have been demonstrated which are based on the detection of electrons that quantum-mechanically tunnel across a narrow gap between electrodes. These transducers have important applications due to the sensitivity of the tunneling mechanism to su~A variations in the electrode gap. In this paper, we describe the recent development of wide-bandwidth electro-mechanical actuators and'simple feedback circuitry which have been adapted for use in tunneling displacement transducers.