Infrared thermal detector array using Eu(TTA)₃-based temperature sensitive paint for optical readable thermal imaging device

This paper presents the design and fabrication of an infrared (IR) thermal detector array made of Eu(TTA)3-based temperature sensitive paint (TSP). The TSP emits 610 nm visible luminescence depending on temperature, and works as an IR-to-visible converter. An optical readout system was designed to excite and observe the detector array using a 355 nm light-emitting diode (LED) and a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera, respectively. The temperature coefficient of the TSP was measured to be -1.58% K^-1, and thermal images of a 400 °C object were successfully obtained. The noise analysis showed that the noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of the imaging system was about 4.5 K.