Stephen R Gibbs

US Patent:

6417514, Jul 9, 2002

Filed:

Feb 10, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/502193

Inventors:

Arthur A. Eneim - Goleta CA
Adam M. Kennedy - Santa Barbara CA
Monesh S. Patel - Goleta CA
Farhad I. Mirbod - Goleta CA
Janine F. Lambe - Goleta CA
Kenneth L. McAllister - Goleta CA
Stephen R. Gibbs - Santa Barbara CA

Assignee:

Raytheon Company - Lexington MA

International Classification:

G01J 516

US Classification:

250352, 250340, 2503381, 2503361

Abstract:

A sensor/support system includes a sensor assembly having a planar radiation detector lying parallel to a reference plane, a readout circuit, and an interconnect joining the radiation detector to the readout circuit. The system further includes a support structure, the support structure having a platform with a first side to which the sensor assembly is affixed and a second side oppositely disposed from the first side. A shim is affixed to the second side of the platform. The shim is made of a shim material different from the detector material and the platform material. The shim reduces the strain in the interconnect when the temperature of the sensor/support system is changed, as compared with the strain in the interconnect in the absence of the stabilization structure. The shim is selected such that an in-plane strain in the interconnect, measured parallel to the reference plane, during a required thermal excursion is less than a maximum strain difference over the thermal excursion for the interconnect material in low-cycle fatigue for a design number of cycles evaluated over the required thermal excursion.