VO<sub>2</sub>-based microbolometer uncooled infrared focal plane arrays with CMOS readout integrated circuit

Xiqu Chen; Xinjian Yi

doi:10.1117/12.632804

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5 December 2005 VO ₂-based microbolometer uncooled infrared focal plane arrays with CMOS readout integrated circuit

Xiqu Chen, Xinjian Yi

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Proceedings Volume 6020, Optoelectronic Materials and Devices for Optical Communications; 602032 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.632804
Event: Asia-Pacific Optical Communications, 2005, Shanghai, China

Abstract

Thin films of vanadium dioxide (VO₂) were selected for microbolometers. The thin films were fabricated with a novel method mainly including ion-sputtering and annealing. It is found that the electrical properties of these thin films can be controlled by adjusting the time of ion-sputtering and annealing. A standard microbolometer pixel structure of micro-bridge has been applied. Two-dimensional arrays of microbolometers have been fabricated on silicon integrated circuit wafers using a surface micromachining technique. A new type of on-chip readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for 32×32 pixel bolometric detector arrays has been designed and fabricated using a 1.5μm double metal poly complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing. The readout circuit consists of three stages, which provides low noise, a highly stable detector bias, high photon current injection efficiency, high gain, and high speed. Several prototypes of 32×32 pixel bolometric detector arrays have been designed and fabricated. These arrays consist of detectors with lateral dimensions of 50μm 50μm, and each bolometric detector is on a 100μm pitch. The results of measurement show that the fabricated uncooled infrared focal plane arrays (UIRFPAs) have excellent performance. The frame rate is 50Hz, the pixel operability is above 96%, the responsivity (R) @ f/1 value is up to 15000V/W, the noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) @ f/1 and 30Hz is about 50mK, and the average power dissipation is only 24.7mW. The results indicate that the technology of fabricating these 32×32 UIRFPAs has potential to be utilized for fabricating low cost and large-scale UIRFPAs.

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Xiqu Chen and Xinjian Yi "VO ₂-based microbolometer uncooled infrared focal plane arrays with CMOS readout integrated circuit", Proc. SPIE 6020, Optoelectronic Materials and Devices for Optical Communications, 602032 (5 December 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.632804

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