High-performance infrared thermoelectric bolometers based on nanomembranes

Varpula, Aapo; Tappura, Kirsi; Tiira, Jonna; Grigoras, Kestutis; Viherkanto, Kai; Ahopelto, Jouni; Prunnila, Mika

doi:10.1117/12.2542194

Cited by 4 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In this section, we present a device model of a thermoelectric bolometer, which will be utilized in analyzing the experimental results. The model is based on a thermal RC circuit 1,15,20 . The speed of the thermoelectric bolometer is determined by thermal time constant…”

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The nano-thermoelectric bolometer of this work is based on a quarter-wave resistive absorber 1,20 , which is also known as the Salisbury screen 20,21 or an antiresonant interference structure 22 . A quarter-wave resistive absorber illustrated in Fig.…”

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The optical absorption of the structure is maximized when the real or effective sheet resistance of the absorber is matched to the vacuum impedance. The absorption spectrum of an ideal quarter wave-resistive absorber consists of periodic absorption peaks, which are spaced evenly in the frequency space 20 . The wavelengths of the absorption peaks are given by…”

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…where dcav is the depth of the cavity and the order n = 0, 1, 2, 3, …. The relative bandwidth of the peak with the lowest wavelength (n = 0) is rather broad: 280 % relative full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) bandwidth 20 . Eq.…”

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Uncooled nano-thermoelectric bolometers for infrared imaging and sensing

Varpula

Murros

Sovanto

et al. 2023

Optical Components and Materials XX

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The state-of-the-art quantum infrared photodetectors have high performance, but obtaining high sensitivity in mid- and long-wavelength infrared (MWIR and LWIR) requires cooling and exotic materials. Whereas thermal detectors offer lower cost without the need for cooling but are typically slower and less sensitive than cooled quantum infrared detectors. Nanothermoelectrics and nanomembranes offer opportunities for enhancing the performance of uncooled MWIR and LWIR imaging and sensing. Similar to thermoelectric detectors, the infrared sensitive signal in those is generated by the thermoelectric effect, providing advantages over resistive bolometers, i.e. less noise sources and zero power consumption in the detector itself. We have recently demonstrated that nano-thermoelectrics provides a route towards high-sensitivity and cost-effective LWIR detection. When the thickness of the thermoelectric polysilicon membrane is reduced, increased phonon scattering leads to reduced thermal conductivity. This gives rise to the high thermoelectric figures of merit determining the detector sensitivity. The speed stems from the low-thermal-mass device design with an integrated metal nanomembrane absorber and the lack of separate support structures. We report integrated circuit concept for the readout of these detectors, and study how the absorber grid geometry determines the device performance. The fabricated devices have thermal time constants, responsivities and specific detectivities D* in the ranges of 190 – 208 μs, 334 – 494 V/W, and (7.9 – 8.7)·107 cmHz1/2/W, respectively. The differences in the device performance originate from the differences in the thermal mass, total resistance, and impedance matching of the absorber grid. By optimization, we expect that D* = 8.3·108 cmHz1/2/W can be reached.

show abstract

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Model Of Thermoelectric Bolometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Uncooled nano-thermoelectric bolometers for infrared imaging and sensing

Varpula

Murros

Sovanto

et al. 2023

Optical Components and Materials XX

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bolometer sensors, known as a device that measure total plasma radiation, can detect electromagnetic (EM) waves by absorbing radiation energy that changes the resistance of the sensor. In other words, proposed sensors are based on absorber structure, which is heated by energy emitted from fusion plasma [1][2][3]. These kinds of photodetectros have outstanding features for infrared thermal sensing with temperature-dependent resistors due to low cost, ease of manufacturing, and terahertz (THz) detection capability that used for several uncooled sensors, widely [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Analytical Evaluation of A High Resistance Sensitivity Bolometer Sensor Based on Plasmonic Metasurface Structure

Hamouleh-Alipour

Mir

Farmani

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Bolometer sensors are prominent and excellent choice in technology because they do not need cooling. The trade-off between high sensitivity, fast response time, and strong light absorption is a key important challenge in bolometer sensors. Here, the bolometric effect for a high resistance sensitivity plasmonic sensing of total and profile infusion of radiation is studied for the proposed bolometer sensor based on plasmonic multilayer structure at 26° C. In the present study, by generating strong coupling condition between incident wave and surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), a very narrow absorption spectra with high figure of merit (FoM) is achieved. The analytical model and numerical simulation are fulfilled based on the transfer matrix method (TMM) and 3-D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), respectively. The narrow absorption spectra that generate by strong coupling with SPPs heats the silver thin film that leads to variation in temperature and supports TE surface mode. This temperature change rectifies the resistance of the metal thin film by the bolometric effect. So, optical characteristics of the proposed metasurface bolometer sensor, including quality factor (Q), sensitivity, and figure of merit (FoM) are calculated that Max sensitivity, FoM, and Q are 17.2 RIU-1, 530 and 434.5, respectively. Finally, we analytically simulate the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) in terms of wavelength and refractive index of analyte (na) that this resistance change can be monitored by an external electric model. The proposed plasmonic multilayer configuration is a very compact footprint structure that achieved high resistance sensitivity and FoM in comparison with any previous reports. This proposed thermal, optical, and electric plasmonic metasurface bolometer sensor can be used in different applications such as biophysics, biology, and environmental science.

show abstract

High-performance silicon-based nano-thermoelectric bolometers for uncooled infrared sensing

Varpula,

Murros,

Sovanto

et al. 2023

Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications XX

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Infrared (IR) sensors and photodetector arrays are employed in various imaging applications (such as night vision), remote temperature measurement, and chemical analysis. These applications are in space and environmental sensing, transport, health and medicine, safety, security, defense, industry, agriculture, etc. Optical chemical analysis employs IR absorption spectroscopy which enables the identification and quantification of gases, liquids, and materials based on their unique absorption spectra which are feature-rich in the IR region. State-of-the-art (SoA) quantum photodetectors utilize either photoconductivity or the photovoltaic effect. Commercial quantum photodetectors are widely available in the spectral range from UV to short-wave infrared (SWIR), but in midwave IR (MWIR) and long-wave IR (LWIR), they require exotic materials and cooling to maintain high sensitivity. Thermal detectors (bolometers) are a competing technology that can reach high sensitivities in IR without the need for cooling and can be manufactured using widely available semiconductor technologies. SoA bolometers include resistive bolometers, diode- or transistor-based bolometers, and thermoelectric bolometers. By utilizing nanomaterials and integrated design, we have minimized the thermal mass and demonstrated fast and sensitive nano-thermoelectric IR bolometers with high thermoelectric efficiency. We review the application and development of the silicon-based nano-thermoelectric infrared bolometers: modelling, design, fabrication, and electro-optical characteristics. The enabling materials, silicon nanomembranes, are also discussed, and the first devices used to test the potential of these nanomembranes, the electro-thermal devices, are reviewed and new experimental results are presented.

show abstract

High-performance infrared thermoelectric bolometers based on nanomembranes

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Uncooled nano-thermoelectric bolometers for infrared imaging and sensing

Uncooled nano-thermoelectric bolometers for infrared imaging and sensing

Design and Analytical Evaluation of A High Resistance Sensitivity Bolometer Sensor Based on Plasmonic Metasurface Structure

High-performance silicon-based nano-thermoelectric bolometers for uncooled infrared sensing

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About