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INFRARED IMAGING DETECTOR USING POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE FILM AS THE PYROELECTRIC DETECTOR (FROM CARNAHAN CONFERENCE ON CRIME COUNTERMEASURES - PROCEEDINGS, 1977, BY JOHN JACKSON - SEE NCJ-57737)

NCJ Number
57753
Author(s)
W R PETERS
Date Published
1977
Length
3 pages
Annotation
AN INFRARED IMAGING DETECTOR, USING POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE FILM AS THE PYROELECTRIC AGENT IN INTRUSION AND PERIMETER SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS, IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
A LOW RESOLUTION INFRARED DETECTOR AND DISPLAY WAS DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED TO SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF USING POLYVINYLIDENE FLOURIDE AS THE PASSIVE PYROELECTRIC DETECTOR IN AN INFRARED CAMERA. THE FLUORIDE HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF RUGGEDNESS, DOES NOT REQUIRE COOLING, AND CAN BE MANUFACTURED IN QUANTITY AT A RELATIVELY LOW COST. THESE QUALITIES MAKE IT A CANDIDATE FOR USE AS A LOW COST, RUGGED THERMAL IMAGING ELEMENT IN CAMERAS FOR SURVEILLANCE APPLICATIONS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY OPERATIONS. VARIOUS TECHNIQUES WERE INVESTIGATED FOR FABRICATING SINGLE AND MULTIPLE ELEMENT PYROELECTRIC DETECTORS FROM FLUORIDE FILMS. THE BEST QUALITY TRANSDUCERS WERE MADE WITH THIN VACUUM DEPOSITED ALUMINUM ELECTRODES ON 6 TO 16 MICROMETERS THICK FILM. VARIOUS TECHNIQUES WERE USED FOR POLING THE FILMS TO MAKE PYROELECTRIC DEVICES. SUCCESSFUL FABRICATION TECHNIQUES WERE ACHIEVED FOR BOTH SINGLE ELEMENT AND MULTIPLE ELEMENT DETECTOR ARRAYS. THE MULTIPLE ELEMENT DETECTORS WERE USED IN LOW RESOLUTION, 16 ELEMENT (4 BY 4) INFRARED IMAGING INSTRUMENT WHICH DEMONSTRATED THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CONCEPT. THE BATTERY OPERATED DEVICE, WHICH USES SPHERICAL REFLECTING MIRRORS AS OPTICS, IS CAPABLE OF DETECTING A HUMAN AT APPROXIMATELY 5 METERS. OPTIMIZATION OF THE PYROELECTRIC COEFFICIENT AND OPTICS SYSTEM COULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THIS RANGE. EQUATIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--KBL)