Appeal No. 1998-0856
Application 08/486,022
The Invention
The appellant’s invention relates to detectors of electromagnetic radiation, more particularly,
thermopile radiation detectors. (Specification, p. 1). The thermopile radiation detectors of the
invention possess an optical filter layer spanning an opening in a substrate. A copy of the claims under
appeal is set forth in the appendix to appellant’s brief. Independent claim 1 is illustrative of the
invention and reads as follows:
1. A radiation detector, comprising:
a substrate surrounding a cavity;
a filter layer overlying at least a portion of a surface of said substrate and spanning the cavity,
said filter layer having a first surface facing the cavity and a second surface opposite the first surface;
and
a least one thermally responsive junction between dissimilar materials that is disposed upon and
supported by said second surface of said filter layer over the cavity; wherein
said filter layer is comprised of alternating films of a first material and a second material selected
for absorbing incident electromagnetic radiation within a predetermined band of wavelengths and for
reflecting incident electromagnetic radiation outside of the predetermined band of wavelengths.
The References
The prior art references of record relied upon by the examiner in rejecting the appealed claims
are:
Hopfer 3,147,436 Sept. 1, 1964
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