TERAHERTZ KINETIC INDUCTANCE BOLOMETER, PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF AND TERAHERTZ DETECTION SYSTEM

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is a terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer, including a superconducting thin film layer, a terahertz antenna, a cutoff layer and a Si substrate, wherein the superconducting thin film layer and the terahertz antenna are respectively deposited on the cutoff layer, and the cutoff layer is deposited on the Si substrate; the superconducting thin film layer includes a superconducting feeder line, an inter-digital capacitor and an inductor coil; the inter-digital capacitor is connected with the inductor coil in parallel to form an oscillation circuit; the terahertz antenna is adjacent to the inductor coil and is used to convert a received terahertz signal into heat so that the inductor coil produces an inductance change; a resonance frequency in the inter-digital capacitor changes through the inductance change; and the superconducting feeder line receives the varying resonance frequency, through which an light intensity of the terahertz signal can be obtained to complete the detection of the terahertz signal. The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer can detect the terahertz signal accurately and is less affected by the temperature. The present invention also provides a preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer and a terahertz detection system.

Claims

1. A terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer, comprising a superconducting thin film layer, a terahertz antenna, a cutoff layer and a Si substrate, wherein the superconducting thin film layer and the terahertz antenna are respectively deposited on the cutoff layer, and the cutoff layer is deposited on the Si substrate; the superconducting thin film layer comprises a superconducting feeder line, an inter-digital capacitor and an inductor coil; the inter-digital capacitor is connected with the inductor coil in parallel to form an oscillation circuit; the terahertz antenna is adjacent to the inductor coil and is used to convert a received terahertz signal into heat so that the inductor coil produces an inductance change; a resonance frequency in the inter-digital capacitor changes through the inductance change; and the superconducting feeder line is coupled with the inter-digital capacitor to receive the varying resonance frequency, through which an light intensity of the terahertz signal can be obtained to complete the detection of the terahertz signal.

2. The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 1, wherein the cutoff layer comprises a surround module, a thermal connection bridge and an island module; and the surround module surrounds the island module, and the surround module and the island module are connected through the thermal connection bridge; and the superconducting feeder line and the inter-digital capacitor are located at the top of the surround module, the inductor coil and the terahertz antenna are located at the top of the island module, and the Si substrate is located at the bottom of the surround module, so that the inductor coil and the terahertz antenna at the top of the island module are isolated from the Si substrate at the bottom of the surround module and the superconducting feeder line and the inter-digital capacitor at the top of the surround module.

3. The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 1, wherein the cutoff layer comprises a SiO.sub.2 layer and a SiN.sub.x layer, and the SiO.sub.2 layer is deposited on the Si substrate, and the SiN.sub.x layer is located on the SiO.sub.2 layer, wherein x is 1-4/3.

4. The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the SiO.sub.2 layer is 100-200 nm, and the thickness of the SiN.sub.x layer is 300-2000 nm.

5. The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 1, wherein the material of the superconducting thin film layer is niobium nitride, niobium titanium nitride or titanium nitride.

6. The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 1, wherein the material of the terahertz antenna is titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-manganese alloy or bismuth.

7. A preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 1, comprising: (1) SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layers are respectively deposited on both sides of a double-cast silicon substrate, namely, A and B surfaces, and a superconducting metal layer is grown on the SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer on the A surface by magnetron sputtering; (2) on the surface of the superconducting metal layer, a circuit of the superconducting thin film layer is exposed through photoresist by an lithography machine, and the superconducting thin film layer is obtained by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching the superconducting metal layer; (3) the remaining photoresist in step (2) is removed; the photoresist is used again to expose a circuit of the terahertz antenna on the surfaces of the SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double layer and the superconducting thin film layer by using the lithography machine; metal of the terahertz antenna is deposited on the surface of the photoresist and exposed SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer by using a measurement and control sputtering technique; and the remaining photoresist is removed by a stripping method to obtain the terahertz antenna; (4) the photoresist is used again to expose a pattern of the cutoff layer on the surface of the SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer on the A surface by using the lithography machine, and the cutoff layer is obtained by etching, and the residual photoresist is removed; (5) a vehicle wafer is obtained; protective wax on the cutoff layer, the terahertz antenna and the superconducting thin film layer is bonded with the protective wax on the vehicle wafer; (6) the SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer on the B surface of the double-cast silicon substrate is removed to expose the double-cast silicon substrate; the photoresist is used to expose the island module on the B surface of the double-cast silicon substrate by the lithography machine; the exposed double-cast silicon substrate is etched by a deep silicon reactive ion etching technique so as to obtain the Si substrate; and the remaining photoresist is removed; and (7) the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer is obtained by removing the protective wax with organic solvent.

8. The preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 7, wherein the superconducting metal layer is grown by the magnetron sputtering on the SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer on the A surface; the superconducting metal is NbN; and the process parameters of the magnetron sputtering are as follows: an air pressure is 1-10 mTorr, power is 50-500 W, and a proportion of N.sub.2 and Ar gas is 5%-50%.

9. The preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer according to claim 7, wherein the measurement and control sputtering technique is used to deposit the metal of the terahertz antenna on the surface of the photoresist and the exposed SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer surface; the metal of the terahertz antenna is TiW alloy; and the process parameters of the measurement and control sputtering technique are as follows: an air pressure is 1-10 mTorr and power is 50-500 W.

10. A terahertz detection system, comprising a plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers are arranged in an array; the plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers are divided into a plurality of groups; the plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers in each group share the superconducting feeder line for coupling; and the size of the inter-digital capacitance of each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer is adjusted so that each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer has a different initial resonance frequency, which can distinguish a region where each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer is located, and then can simultaneously monitor an intensity change of a terahertz signal in the region where each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer is located.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a top view of a terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 is an A-A cross-section diagram of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer provided in the specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG. 3(a) through FIG. 3(q) are flowcharts of a preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIGS. 4(b), 4(b) and 4(c) are schematic cross-section diagrams of the flowchart of the preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention; and

[0034] FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the flowchart of the preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Superconducting thin film layer 1, superconducting feeder line 11, inter-digital capacitor 12, inductor coil 13, ground wire 14, terahertz antenna 2, cutoff layer 3, surround module 31, thermal connection bridge 32, island module 33, Si substrate 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention is further explained in detail by the attached drawings and embodiments. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended only to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following explanation, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concept of the present invention.

[0037] The specific embodiments of the present invention realize monitoring of the light intensity of a terahertz signal by using change of a resonance frequency, and uses an island module to avoid influence of other elements on an inductor coil and a terahertz antenna, so that the intensity of the terahertz signal can be accurately and efficiently monitored.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention is a terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer, comprising a superconducting thin film layer 1, a terahertz antenna 2, a cutoff layer 3 and a Si substrate 4, wherein the superconducting thin film layer 1 and the terahertz antenna 2 are respectively deposited on the cutoff layer 3, and the cutoff layer 3 is deposited on the Si substrate 4;

[0039] The superconducting thin film layer 1 provided in the specific embodiment of the present invention comprises a superconducting feeder line 11, an inter-digital capacitor 12 and an inductor coil 13; the inter-digital capacitor 12 is connected with the inductor coil 13 in parallel to form an LC oscillation circuit, that is an ultrasonic kinetic inductance resonator; the terahertz antenna 2 is adjacent to the inductor coil 13 and is used to convert a received terahertz signal into heat so that the inductor coil 13 produces an inductance change, which overcomes a defect in the prior art that an inductor coil made of a superconducting material has a higher superconducting energy gap and a narrower bandwidth for receiving the terahertz signal. In the specific embodiment of the present invention, the terahertz antenna 2 made of a common metal can receive a terahertz signal with a relatively wide bandwidth, and the resonance frequency in the inter-digital capacitor 12 is changed by an inductance change. The superconducting feeder line 11 is coupled with the inter-digital capacitor 12 to receive a changed resonance frequency, and the inter-digital capacitor 12 is also coupled with the ground wire 14. As the change of resonance frequency is proportional to the light intensity of the terahertz signal received by the detector, the detector is calibrated by the standard light intensity, and a relationship curve between the light intensity and the frequency change can be obtained, and then the light intensity of the terahertz signal can be calculated to complete the detection of the terahertz signal.

[0040] In a specific embodiment, back to FIG. 1, the cutoff layer 3 provided in this embodiment comprises a surround module 31, a thermal connection bridge 32 and an island module 33; and the surround module 31 surrounds the island module 33, and the surround module 31 and the island module 33 are connected through the thermal connection bridge 32.

[0041] Back to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the superconducting feeder line 11 and the inter-digital capacitor 12 provided in this embodiment are located on the surround module 31, the inductor coil 13 and the terahertz antenna 2 are located on the island module 33, and the Si substrate 4 is located on the bottom of the surround module 31, thus isolating the inductor coil 13 and the terahertz antenna 2 from the Si substrate 4, the superconducting feeder line 11 and the inter-digital capacitor 12, which prevents heat generated by the Si substrate 4, the superconducting feeder line 11 and the inter-digital capacitor 12 from affecting the inductor coil 13 to generate inductance, so that the inter-digital capacitor 12 can accurately produce the changing resonance frequency, and then an external monitoring system can accurately read changes of a transmission function in amplitude and phase to detect the intensity and time of the incident terahertz signal.

[0042] In a specific embodiment, the cutoff layer comprises a SiO.sub.2 layer and a SiN.sub.x layer, and the SiO.sub.2 layer is deposited on the Si substrate, and the SiN.sub.x layer is located on the SiO.sub.2 layer, wherein x is 1-4/3. The thickness of the SiO.sub.2 layer is 100-200 nm, and the thickness of the SiN.sub.x layer is 300-2000 nm.

[0043] In a specific embodiment, the material of the superconducting thin film layer is niobium nitride, niobium titanium nitride or titanium nitride. Because of a high kinetic inductance value of the above superconducting material, a resonant cavity with a high quality factor can be prepared. The material of the terahertz antenna is titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-manganese alloy or bismuth. Because of low heat capacity of the above metal material, efficiency of absorbing the terahertz signal is high.

[0044] The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer (KIB) provided by the specific embodiments of the present invention, as a new type of superconducting bolometer, has the advantages of simple processing art, and high stability compared with a traditional superconducting transition edge bolometer (TES bolometer). The present invention can realize frequency division multiplexing, have a simple data read system, and further reduce a system cost. It can be applied in space astronomical exploration, terahertz security check and other aspects.

[0045] A core part of the superconducting kinetic inductance bolometer is a kinetic inductance microwave resonator. When the terahertz antenna in the bolometer converts the energy of the terahertz signal into phonon heat of a thermal insulation island, the temperature of a thermal radiation island would be changed, which would cause the surface impedance of the superconducting material to change. By reading the changes in amplitude and phase of the transmission function, the intensity and time of the incident terahertz signal can be detected. By changing the frequency of each kinetic inductance microwave resonator unit, the frequency division multiplexing can be realized, and thousands of detector units can be read with only one microwave feeder line.

[0046] The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer provided by the specific embodiment of the present invention can work at a temperature of 4K by using an NbN with Tc of about 15K. Compared with a traditional superconducting transition edge sensor TES, which works at 100 mK, the requirement on space refrigeration is greatly reduced and the cost is reduced.

[0047] A specific embodiment of the present invention also provides a preparation method of the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer, comprising:

[0048] (1) As shown in (a) of FIG. 3, SiO.sub.x and SiN.sub.x double-layers are grown by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) on both sides of a double-cast silicon substrate, namely, A and B surfaces (in fact, at a Si side is a SiO.sub.2 layer). Generally, the SiO.sub.x is of 100-200 nm (which is the cutoff layer), the SiN.sub.x is of 300-2000 nm (which is the thin film layer), and the thickness needs to be changed according to different bolometer designs. An NbN superconducting metal layer is grown by magnetron sputtering on the A surface of the double-cast silicon substrate. The process parameters of the magnetron sputtering are as follows: an air pressure is 5 mTorr, power is 300 W, and an N.sub.2/Ar ratio is 1:3.

[0049] (2) As shown in (b) and (c) of FIG. 3, an lithography machine (such as an ASML PAS5500/350 KrF stepper lithography machine) is used to expose a circuit of the superconducting thin film layer on the surface of the NbN superconducting metal layer with photoresist PR, and a superconducting thin film layer 1 is obtained by etching the superconducting metal layer with ICP. A top view of the superconducting thin film layer 1 is as shown in (a) of FIG. 4, comprising the superconducting feeder line 11, the inter-digital capacitor 12, the inductor coil 13, and the ground wire 14.

[0050] (3) As shown in (d) of FIG. 3, an organic solvent such as toluene, acetone, isopropyl alcohol or ethanol and a plasma degumming machine are used to remove the remaining photoresist PR in step (2). As shown in (e) of FIG. 3, the lithography machine (such as the ASML PAS5500/350 KrF stepper lithography machine) is used to expose a circuit of the terahertz antenna on the surfaces of the SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer and the superconducting thin film layer. As shown in (f) of FIG. 3, a TiW terahertz antenna is deposited on the surface of the photoresist and the surface of the exposed SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer by using a measurement and control sputtering technique. As shown in (g) of FIG. 3, the organic solvent such as the toluene, acetone, isopropyl alcohol or ethanol is stripped in an ultrasonic machine in an ift-off manner, and the remaining photoresist is removed to obtain a TiW terahertz antenna 2, of which the top view is as shown in (b) of FIG. 4.

[0051] (4) As shown in (h) of FIG. 3, the lithography machine (such as the ASML PAS5500/350 KrF stepper lithography machine) is used to expose the island module and thermal connection bridge in the bolometer with the photoresist PR. As shown in (i) and (j) of FIG. 3, a plasma etching machine (RIE) is used to etch the SiO.sub.x and SiN.sub.x double-layer, and a set area between the island module and the surround module is etch off to obtain the cutoff layer 3. As shown in (c) of FIG. 4, the organic solvent such as the toluene, acetone, isopropyl alcohol or ethanol and the plasma degumming machine are used to remove the residual photoresist.

[0052] (5) As shown in (k) of FIG. 3, a sapphire vehicle wafer Sapphire is obtained; protective wax is spun on the cutoff layer, the terahertz antenna and the superconducting thin film layer; protective wax is spun on the sapphire carrier wafer, and they are bonded by the protective wax.

[0053] (6) As shown in (l) and (m) of FIG. 3, the SiO.sub.2 and SiN.sub.x double-layer on the B surface of the double-cast silicon substrate is removed by using the RIE so as to expose the double-cast silicon substrate. As shown in (n) of FIG. 3, the photoresist is used to expose the island module on the B surface of the double-cast silicon substrate by the lithography machine. As shown in (o) and (p) of FIG. 3, the exposed double-cast silicon substrate is etched by a deep silicon reactive ion etching technique so as to obtain the Si substrate; and the remaining photoresist is removed.

[0054] (7) As shown in (q) of FIG. 3, the terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer is obtained by removing the protective wax with the organic solvent and stripping the sapphire vehicle wafer.

[0055] A specific embodiment of the present invention also provides a terahertz detection system as shown in FIG. 5, comprising a plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers, wherein the plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers are arranged in an array; the plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers are divided into a plurality of groups; the plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers in each group share the superconducting feeder line 11 for coupling, namely, the inter-digital capacitors 12 in each group of the plurality of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers can be coupled through the superconducting feeder line 11, and the plurality of groups of terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers are wrapped by a ground wire 14. The terahertz detection system provided by the specific embodiment of the present invention is simple in structure, saves the material of the feeder line, and makes each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer have a different initial resonance frequency by adjusting the size of the inter-digital capacitor of each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer. Since different terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers have different initial resonance frequencies, when the terahertz signal illuminates the terahertz detection system, the region where each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer is located can be distinguished, and the intensity change and time of the terahertz signal in the region where each terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer is located can be monitored simultaneously.

[0056] The preparation method of the terahertz detection system of the present invention is not limited by the wafer area, and the resonant frequency of the resonant cavity can be changed by changing the capacitance size of the resonant cavity. Each feeder line can multiplex 2000 pixel elements in a frequency range of 4-8 GHz at 2 MHz interval in the frequency division multiplexing manner, and a terahertz detection system with high pixels and a large array can be further developed through array. It can fill the gap of a focal plane detector in a domestic passive terahertz security check system. The present invention uses the NbN thin film to increase the operating temperature, thus reducing the requirement of reducing the temperature of the refrigerator and thus reducing the cost of system integration. The following FIG. 5 shows a microwave kinetic inductance bolometer with 105 pixel elements in 88 mm.sup.2:

[0057] Compared with superconducting transition edge sensor TES, which requires a voltage control line for each pixel, and a set of superconducting quantum interferometer test lines TESs, the KIB can suspend terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers with different resonant frequencies in one feeder line, and multiplex 2000 pixel elements in the frequency range of 4-8 GHz at 2 MHz interval in the frequency division multiplexing manner, and can use 5 groups of coaxial lines to more quickly form a detector with tens of thousands of pixels.