The work proposed here will result in the development of a new type of infrared detector utilizing very recent developments in microcantilevers. Microcantilevers that are 50-200 (m long, 10-40 (m wide, and 0.3-3 (m thick are commonly used in scanning force microscopy (SFM) to detect forces in the range of 10-12- 10-9 N. Such devices can be mass produced using micromachining. Using the bimetallic effect and geometrical optimization, cantilevers can be designed that are capable of measuring temperature changes as small as 10-8 K. Cantilever deflections less than a few tenths of a nanometer can be accurately measured using optical, piezoresistive, or capacitive techniques. For infrared detection, these microcantilevers can be coated with infrared absorbing materials. An array of these microcantilevers with specific coatings can be used to detect and characterize a wide range of radiation. Reference microcantilevers can also be used to compensate for temperature fluctuations in sensor devices. If a stress- or thermally-responsive coating is used then deflections can also be measured as changes in resonance frequency. The objective is to develop an infrared detector that is sensitive, miniature, and can be mass produced. The proposed work would provide a highly significant advance in detector technology with implications in many areas.
