A fiber optical superconducting nanowire detector with increased detector efficiency, fabricated directly on the tip of the input optical fiber. The fabrication on the tip of the fiber allows precise alignment of the detector to the fiber core, where the field mode is maximal. This construction maximizes the coupling efficiency to close to unity, without the need for complex alignment procedures, such as the need to align the input fiber with a previously fabricated device. The device includes a high-Q optical cavity, such that any photon entering the device will be reflected to and fro within the cavity numerous times, thereby increasing its chances of absorption by the nanowire structure. This is achieved by using dedicated cavity mirrors with very high reflectivity, with the meander nanowire structure contained within the cavity between the end mirrors, such that photons impinge on the nanowire structure with every traverse of the cavity.

An example objective of the present invention is to provide a bolometer capable of reducing its manufacturing cost. A bolometer according to an example aspect of the present invention includes: a substrate; and an infrared detection unit comprising a bolometer film, wherein the infrared detection unit is held on the substrate with a gap therebetween by a supporting unit, wherein the bolometer film is a carbon nanotube film includes semiconducting carbon nanotubes in an amount of 67% by mass or more of the total amount of carbon nanotubes, and the thickness of the carbon nanotube film is in the range of 10 nm to 1 μm, and the density of the carbon nanotube film is 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or more.

An example objective of the present invention is to provide a bolometer capable of reducing its manufacturing cost. A bolometer according to an example aspect of the present invention includes: a substrate; and an infrared detection unit comprising a bolometer film, wherein the infrared detection unit is held on the substrate with a gap therebetween by a supporting unit, wherein the bolometer film is a carbon nanotube film includes semiconducting carbon nanotubes in an amount of 67% by mass or more of the total amount of carbon nanotubes, and the thickness of the carbon nanotube film is in the range of 10 nm to 1 μm, and the density of the carbon nanotube film is 0.3 g/cm.sup.3 or more.

A microbolometer device integrated with CMOS and BiCMOS technologies and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a microbolometer unit cell, comprises damaging a portion of a substrate to form a damaged region. The method further includes forming infrared (IR) absorbing material on the damaged region. The method further includes isolating the IR absorbing material by forming a cavity underneath the IR absorbing material.

A microbolometer device integrated with CMOS and BiCMOS technologies and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a microbolometer unit cell, comprises damaging a portion of a substrate to form a damaged region. The method further includes forming infrared (IR) absorbing material on the damaged region. The method further includes isolating the IR absorbing material by forming a cavity underneath the IR absorbing material.

We disclose herein a thermal IR detector array device comprising a dielectric membrane, supported by a substrate, the membrane having an array of IR detectors, where the array size is at least 3 by 3 or larger, and there are tracks embedded within the membrane layers to separate each element of the array, the tracks also acting as heatsinks and/or cold junction regions.

We disclose an array of Infra-Red (IR) detectors comprising at least one dielectric membrane formed on a semiconductor substrate comprising an etched portion; at least two IR detectors, and at least one patterned layer formed within or on one or both sides of the said dielectric membrane for controlling the IR absorption of at least one of the IR detectors. The patterned layer comprises laterally spaced structures.

A photothermal converter using a wavelength selective perfect absorber made of a low-loss metal material or dielectric and a heat detection sensor are combined to develop a sensor that efficiently converts light of a specific wavelength into heat and further electrically detects the heat. Here, since the wavelength selective perfect absorber of the present invention has a periodic structure, it has high directivity, and can also be used as a small motion sensor or a watching sensor using detection of thermal radiation. In addition, it can also be used as a high-precision small position sensor by being combined with a laser light source matching the resonance wavelength of the sensor.

A photothermal converter using a wavelength selective perfect absorber made of a low-loss metal material or dielectric and a heat detection sensor are combined to develop a sensor that efficiently converts light of a specific wavelength into heat and further electrically detects the heat. Here, since the wavelength selective perfect absorber of the present invention has a periodic structure, it has high directivity, and can also be used as a small motion sensor or a watching sensor using detection of thermal radiation. In addition, it can also be used as a high-precision small position sensor by being combined with a laser light source matching the resonance wavelength of the sensor.

A photodetector comprising a photoabsorber, comprising a doped semiconductor, a contact layer comprising a doped semiconductor and a barrier layer comprising a charge carrier compensated semiconductor, the barrier layer compensated by doping impurities such that it exhibits a valence band energy level substantially equal to the valence band energy level of the photo absorbing layer and a conduction band energy level exhibiting a significant band gap in relation to the conduction band of the photo absorbing layer, the barrier layer disposed between the photoabsorber and contact layers. The relationship between the photo absorbing layer and contact layer valence and conduction band energies and the barrier layer conduction and valance band energies is selected to facilitate minority carrier current flow while inhibiting majority carrier current flow between the contact and photo absorbing layers.