Microbolometer array with improved performance
US9417134B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 13, 2012 |
| Grant date | Aug 16, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 4, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J2005/204
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
According to one aspect, the invention relates to a microbolometer array for thermal detection of light radiation in a given spectral band, comprising a supporting substrate and an array of microbolometers (300) of given dimensions, arranged in an array. Each of said microbolometers comprises a membrane (301) suspended above said supporting substrate, said membrane consisting of an element (305) for absorbing the incident radiation and a thermometric element (304) in thermal contact with the absorber, electrically insulated from said absorber element. The absorber element comprises at least one first metal/insulator/metal (MIM) structure comprising a multilayer of three superposed films of submicron-order thickness i.e. a first metallic film (311), a dielectric film (310), and a second metallic film (309), said MIM structure being able to have a resonant absorption of said incident radiation at at least one wavelength in said spectral band. The area of the microbolometer pixel covered by said membrane (301) is less than or equal to half of the total area of the microbolometer pixel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.