C. Thomas Elliott
Encyclopedia
Charles Thomas Elliott FRS, CBE
, is a leading scientist in the fields of narrow gap semiconductor
and infrared detector
research. Hailing from county Durham
, after gaining his Ph.D., he worked at the University of Manchester
before joining RRE
in Malvern, Worcestershire
in the late 1960s. In the 1970s he invented the SPRITE detector
(Signal PRocessing In The Element) which was also known as the TED (Tom Elliott's Detector). This was a photoconductor device in which the infrared
scene was scanned across the detector (made from HgCdTe) at the same rate as the carriers drifted under an applied controlled constant bias current. This device decame part of TICM - the standard UK thermal imaging common module used since the 1980s by UK armed forces. Tom Elliott received a Rank Prize in 1982 for this work and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1988.
Tom Elliott also contributed to the development of indium antimonide as an infrared detector, magnetic sensor and fast transistor
material. He was involved in the exploitation of negative luminescence
in diode
structures.
He retired from the successor to RRE, DERA
in 1999 and is an honorary professor at Heriot-Watt University
.
The new conference centre at DERA
Malvern (now QinetiQ
) has been named 'The Tom Elliott Centre' in his honour.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, is a leading scientist in the fields of narrow gap semiconductor
Narrow gap semiconductor
Narrow gap semiconductors are semiconducting materials with a band gap that is comparatively small compared to silicon. They are used as infrared detectors or thermoelectrics.-List of Narrow gap semiconductors:*HgCdTe*PbSe*PbS*PbTe*InAs*InSb*Cd3As2...
and infrared detector
Infrared detector
An infrared detector is a photodetector that reacts to infrared radiation. The two main types of detectors are thermal and photonic.The thermal effects of the incident IR radiation can be followed through many temperature dependent phenomena....
research. Hailing from county Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, after gaining his Ph.D., he worked at the University of Manchester
Victoria University of Manchester
The Victoria University of Manchester was a university in Manchester, England. On 1 October 2004 it merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to form a new entity, "The University of Manchester".-1851 - 1951:The University was founded in 1851 as Owens College,...
before joining RRE
Royal Radar Establishment
The name Royal Radar Establishment was given to the existing Radar Research Establishment following a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Both names were abbreviated to RRE. The establishment had been formed, under its first name, in 1953 by merging the Telecommunications Research Establishment ...
in Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
in the late 1960s. In the 1970s he invented the SPRITE detector
SPRITE infrared detector
The SPRITE infrared detector is named after the process of signal integration carried out by "Signal Processing In The Element". The technique was invented at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment at Malvern by a team of scientists including Tom Elliott....
(Signal PRocessing In The Element) which was also known as the TED (Tom Elliott's Detector). This was a photoconductor device in which the infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
scene was scanned across the detector (made from HgCdTe) at the same rate as the carriers drifted under an applied controlled constant bias current. This device decame part of TICM - the standard UK thermal imaging common module used since the 1980s by UK armed forces. Tom Elliott received a Rank Prize in 1982 for this work and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1988.
Tom Elliott also contributed to the development of indium antimonide as an infrared detector, magnetic sensor and fast transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
material. He was involved in the exploitation of negative luminescence
Negative luminescence
Negative luminescence is a physical phenomenon by which an electronic device emits less thermal radiation when an electric current is passed through it than it does in thermal equilibrium . When viewed by a thermal camera, an operating negative luminescent device looks colder than its environment.-...
in diode
Diode
In electronics, a diode is a type of two-terminal electronic component with a nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. A semiconductor diode, the most common type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals...
structures.
He retired from the successor to RRE, DERA
DERA
DERA may refer as an abbreviation or acronym to:*Defence Evaluation and Research Agency*Downtown Eastside Residents Association – in Vancouver, British Columbia*Direct Epitope Recognition Assay*Disaster preparedness and Emergency Response Association...
in 1999 and is an honorary professor at Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
.
The new conference centre at DERA
DERA
DERA may refer as an abbreviation or acronym to:*Defence Evaluation and Research Agency*Downtown Eastside Residents Association – in Vancouver, British Columbia*Direct Epitope Recognition Assay*Disaster preparedness and Emergency Response Association...
Malvern (now QinetiQ
QinetiQ
Qinetiq is a British global defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former UK government agency, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency , when it was split up in June 2001...
) has been named 'The Tom Elliott Centre' in his honour.