Bias circuit elements for applying voltages/currents to a photodetector are described. Bias circuit elements described are active devices, e.g. mosfets, directly connected to the photodetector signal point, which inject noise that will be amplified/integrated. Lowering 1/f noise in these bias devices uses multiple parallel mosfets and switching the parallel mosfets gates between a bias activation level signal and a voltage sufficient to drive the mosfet into accumulation Gate switching may be accomplished by at least two partially out of phase clocking signals, with at least one parallel mosfet applying bias while another is in accumulation in continuously switched time periods. Gate switching at a frequency higher than the imaging bandwidth, will have negligible effect on the image signal. During the accumulation phase traps present within the conducting channel of each MOSFET will be depopulated, essentially resetting the MOSFET's 1/f noise, allowing for long integration times while controlling 1/f noise.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a microscopic bolometer film and a bolometer using the same via a simple method.

The present invention relates to a bolometer manufacturing method including: forming an interlayer having a function that enhances binding between a substrate and a semiconducting carbon nanotube, in a predetermined pattern shape on the substrate; and providing a droplet of a semiconducting carbon nanotube dispersion liquid on the formed interlayer.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a photodetector that includes a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor annulus on a planar face of the semiconductor substrate, and a metal layer on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the metal layer comprises a first region surrounding the semiconductor annulus and comprises a second region filling an interior region to the semiconductor annulus, and the metal layer in the first region forms a Schottky junction with the semiconductor ring.

An infrared detector useful in, e.g., infrared cameras, includes a substrate having an array of infrared detectors and a readout integrated circuit interconnected with the array disposed on an upper surface thereof, for one or more embodiments. A generally planar window is spaced above the array, the window being substantially transparent to infrared light. A mesa is bonded to the window. The mesa has closed marginal side walls disposed between an outer periphery of a lower surface of the window and an outer periphery of the upper surface of the substrate and defines a closed cavity between the window and the array that encloses the array. A solder seal bonds the mesa to the substrate so as to seal the cavity.

A multi-pixel terahertz transceiver is constructed using a stack of semiconductor layers that communicate using vias defined within the semiconductor layers. By using a stack of semiconductor layers, the various electrical functions of each layer can be tested easily without having to assemble the entire transceiver. In addition, the design allows the production of a transceiver having pixels set 10 mm apart.

A method of making a variable emittance window comprising providing a metal foil substrate, applying an antireflection material layer onto the metal foil substrate, applying a protection material layer onto the antireflection material layer, applying a variable emittance material layer onto the protection material layer, annealing to form a two-step variable emittance layer, applying a transparent low emittance material layer to the two-step variable emittance layer, adhering a transparent substrate to the transparent low emittance material layer, and removing the metal foil substrate.

An infrared imaging micro-bolometer integrates a membrane assembled in suspension on a substrate by support arms. The membrane includes an absorbing material configured to capture infrared radiations and a thermometric material connected to the absorbing material configured to perform a transduction of the infrared radiations captured by the absorbing material The thermometric material is arranged on a surface area smaller than 0.4 times a surface area of the membrane. The membrane also includes at least one central dielectric layer arranged between the absorbing material and the thermometric material. Recesses are formed in the absorbing material and in the at least one dielectric layer in portions of the membrane devoid of the thermometric material.

In one aspect, the invention provides a nanobolometer cell including a base layer, a dielectric spacer layer above and adjacent to the base layer, an ultrathin silicon film above and adjacent to the spacer layer, and at least one plasmonic optical antenna resonator above and adjacent to the silicon film.

An infrared detector includes: a laminate of semiconductor in which a first electrode layer, a light receiving layer, and a second electrode layer are laminated in this order; a first insulating film configured to be in contact with the laminate and covers a surface of the laminate; and a second insulating film configured to be in contact with and covers a surface of the first insulating film opposite to an interface between the first insulating film and the laminate, wherein the first insulating film is configured to have a lower Gibbs free energy than an oxide of a material from which the laminate is formed, and in the second insulating film, diffusion of impurity is larger than in the first insulating film.

The present disclosure provides a microbolometer including a substrate, a readout circuit layer disposed above the substrate, a first vanadium oxide layer disposed above the readout circuit layer, a second vanadium oxide layer disposed on the first vanadium oxide layer, and an infrared absorbing layer disposed above the second vanadium oxide layer, in which an oxygen content of the second vanadium oxide is higher than that of the first vanadium oxide layer.