Infrared Absorption Efficiency Enhancement of the CMOS Compatible Thermopile by the Special Subwavelength Hole Arrays

Abstract

The infrared absorption efficiency (IAE) enhancement of the complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductorCMOS compatible thermopile with special subwavelength hole arrays in an active area was numerically investigated by the finite-difference time-domain method. It was found that the absorption efficiency of that thermopile was enhanced when the subwavelength rectangular-hole array added extra rectangular-columnar or ellipse-columnar structures in the hole array. The simulation results show that the IAEs of the better cases for the three types of rectangular columns and three ellipse columns were increased by 14.4% and 15.2%, respectively. Such special subwavelength hole arrays can be improved by the IAE of the CMOS compatible thermopile.

Enhanced Infrared Absorbance of the CMOS Compatible Thermopile by the Subwavelength Rectangular-Hole Arrays

“…The measurement and simulation results consistently show that the infrared absorption efficiency (IAE) of the CMOS compatible thermopile has been significantly improved when there is a subwavelength hole structure in absorption area. Continuing the above research, several special subwavelength columnar structures added in rectangular hole of the best case of the above research are numerically investigated by the finite-difference time-domain method in order to enhance the IAE of the CMOS compatible thermopile [15]. It is obtained that the IAEs of the better cases for the types of three rectangular columns and three ellipse columns can be increased by 14.4% and 15.2%, respectively.…”

A Thermopile Device with Sub-Wavelength Hole Arrays by CMOS-MEMS Technology

“…In this section, the minimum structure line width limit of the process is ignored. To explore the effect of the CMOS compatible thermopile with various extra subwavelength columnar structures (ESCS) in rectangular holes of the [ 24 ] best case, six designated ESCSs and look for the better geometry of the ESCSs by using the FDTD method are considered [ 53 ]. It is shown in [ 53 ] that the subwavelength rectangular-hole arrays with rectangular-columnar or elliptical-columnar structures in the hole array can be enhanced the absorption efficiency of this thermopile.…”

“…To explore the effect of the CMOS compatible thermopile with various extra subwavelength columnar structures (ESCS) in rectangular holes of the [ 24 ] best case, six designated ESCSs and look for the better geometry of the ESCSs by using the FDTD method are considered [ 53 ]. It is shown in [ 53 ] that the subwavelength rectangular-hole arrays with rectangular-columnar or elliptical-columnar structures in the hole array can be enhanced the absorption efficiency of this thermopile. Based on the results of [ 53 ], four better geometry of the ESCSs are considered in this study and the top-view sketch of four ESCSs including one rectangular column (RC), three RCs, one elliptical column (EC), and three ECs are shown in Figure 18 .…”

“…It is shown in [ 53 ] that the subwavelength rectangular-hole arrays with rectangular-columnar or elliptical-columnar structures in the hole array can be enhanced the absorption efficiency of this thermopile. Based on the results of [ 53 ], four better geometry of the ESCSs are considered in this study and the top-view sketch of four ESCSs including one rectangular column (RC), three RCs, one elliptical column (EC), and three ECs are shown in Figure 18 . Here the geometric dimensions in the X -axis and Y -axis directions for the rectangular column are and , and the ones for the elliptical column are and , respectively.…”

“…The measurement and simulation results are obvious similarity. In addition, we find an interesting phenomenon that several special subwavelength columnar structures are added in the best rectangular-hole structure obtained in [ 24 ] and the optimal simulation results can increase by more than 14% [ 53 ].…”