INFRARED SENSOR
20170356806 · 2017-12-14
Inventors
- KOUHEI TAKAHASHI (Osaka, JP)
- TAKASHI KAWASAKI (Osaka, JP)
- YASUYUKI NAITO (Osaka, JP)
- Morio Tomiyama (Nara, JP)
Cpc classification
G01J5/023
PHYSICS
G01J5/20
PHYSICS
G01J5/06
PHYSICS
International classification
G01J5/20
PHYSICS
Abstract
An infrared sensor is formed in such a manner that an infrared receiver and a base substrate are spaced with a beam made of a thin-film phononic crystal in which through holes are arranged periodically. The beam made of a phononic crystal is formed in such a manner that a period P of through holes increases at arbitrary intervals in a direction from the infrared receiver toward the base substrate.
Claims
1. An infrared sensor comprising: a base substrate comprising a recess portion; a thermopile infrared receiver; a first beam; and a second beam, wherein one end of the first beam is connected to the infrared receiver, other end of the first beam is connected to the base substrate, one end of the second beam is connected to the infrared receiver, other end of the second beam is connected to the base substrate, the recess portion is located between the infrared receiver and the base substrate in a cross-sectional view in such a manner that the infrared receiver is suspended above the base substrate, the recess portion is located between the first beam and the base substrate in a cross-sectional view in such a manner that the first beam is suspended above the base substrate, the recess portion is located between the second beam and the base substrate in a cross-sectional view in such a manner that the second beam is suspended above the base substrate, the first beam includes a p-type first domain and a p-type second domain, the p-type first domain is located between the p-type second domain and the infrared receiver in a plan view, the p-type first domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p1.sub.p, the p-type second domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p2.sub.p, a value of the period p2.sub.p is greater than a value of the period p1.sub.p, the second beam includes an n-type first domain and an n-type second domain, the n-type first domain is located between the n-type second domain and the infrared receiver in a plan view, the n-type first domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p1.sub.n, the n-type second domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p2.sub.n, and a value of the period p2.sub.n is greater than a value of the period p1.sub.n.
2. The infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising: a first electric wire electrically connected to the first beam; a second electric wire electrically connected to the second beam; a first electrode electrically connected to the first electric wire; and a second electrode electrically connected to the second electric wire.
3. An infrared sensor comprising: a base substrate comprising a recess portion; a thermistor infrared receiver; a first beam; a first electric wire electrically connected to the infrared receiver; a second electric wire electrically connected to the infrared receiver; a first electrode electrically connected to the first electric wire; and a second electrode electrically connected to the second electric wire, wherein one end of the first beam is connected to the infrared receiver, other end of the first beam is connected to the base substrate, the recess portion is located between the infrared receiver and the base substrate in a cross-sectional view in such a manner that the infrared receiver is suspended above the base substrate, the recess portion is located between the first beam and the base substrate in a cross-sectional view in such a manner that the first beam is suspended above the base substrate, the first beam includes a first domain and a second domain, the first domain is located between the second domain and the infrared receiver in a plan view, the first domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p1, the second domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p2, and a value of the period p2 is greater than a value of the period p1.
4. The infrared sensor according to claim 3, further comprising a second beam, wherein one end of the second beam is connected to the infrared receiver, other end of the second beam is connected to the base substrate, the recess portion is located between the second beam and the base substrate in a cross-sectional view in such a manner that the second beam is suspended above the base substrate, the second beam includes a third domain and a fourth domain each formed of a phononic crystal, the third domain is located between the fourth domain and the infrared receiver in a plan view, the third domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p3, the fourth domain is formed of a phononic crystal comprising through holes arranged regularly at a period p4, and a value of the period p4 is greater than a value of the period p3.
5. The infrared sensor according to claim 3, wherein the first electric wire and the second electric wire are in contact with a surface of the first beam.
6. The infrared sensor according to claim 4, wherein the first electric wire is in contact with a surface of the first beam, and the second electric wire is in contact with a surface of the second beam.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.
First Exemplary Embodiment
[0032]
[0033] The infrared sensor of the present disclosure further includes signal processing circuit 14 provided on base substrate 11 and electric wire 15 that transmits an electric signal from infrared receiver 12 to signal processing circuit 14. Infrared absorption layer 16 is also provided in an outermost surface layer of infrared receiver 12.
[0034] An operating principle of the infrared sensor of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
[0035] Basic structure illustrated in
[0036] Beam 13 of the infrared sensor according to the present disclosure is formed of a two-dimensional phononic crystal which is made of a thin-film substance in thickness ranging from 10 nm to 500 nm and in which through holes 20 with an arbitrary diameter are arranged at arbitrary intervals within a thin-film plane.
[0037] Period P of the phononic domain in the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is preferably in a range from 1 nm to 300 nm. This is because a wavelength of a heat-carrying phonon ranges mainly from 1 nm to 300 nm.
[0038] Diameter D of each through hole of the phononic domain in the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure preferably satisfies D/P≧0.5 with respect to period P. This is because porosity decreases under conditions of D/P<0.5 and excellent thermal insulation performance is not obtained. Here, in order to prevent adjacent through holes from coming into contact with each other, diameter D also needs to satisfy D/P<0.9.
[0039] While a circular shape or polygonal shape may be used as an in-plane shape of one phononic domain in the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an in-plane size preferably satisfies a condition that a length of one side is equal to or greater than 5P and that an area is equal to or greater than 25P.sup.2 with respect to period P of the periodic structure that constitutes the phononic domain. This is because formation of PBG needs a uniform periodic structure of at least five periods.
[0040] Examples of unit lattice 22 that forms the periodic structure of the phononic domain in the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure include a tetragonal lattice (
[0041] A semiconductor material, not a metal material, preferably forms beam 13 in the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. This is because a heat-carrying medium in metal is not phonons but free electrons. Specifically, beam 13 is preferably formed of a semiconductor made of a single element, such as Si and Ge, a compound semiconductor, such as SiN, SiC, SiGe, GaAs, InAs, InSb, InP, GaN, and AlN, or an oxide semiconductor and insulator, such as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, VO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, and SrTiO.sub.3.
[0042] When thermistor infrared receiver 12 is used, beam 13 can be formed of a semiconductor or insulator. Examples of insulator material include Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2.
[0043] The following describes one example of a method for manufacturing the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0044] Signal processing circuit 14 is formed on an upper surface of Si base substrate 11. Subsequently, an insulating layer of SiO.sub.2 is formed by thermal oxidation so as to cover a surface of base substrate 11. Subsequently, a beam layer is formed on an upper surface of the SiO.sub.2 layer by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or other methods. The beam layer also functions as a layer that forms the infrared receiver. Through holes 20 are formed by electron beam lithography in periodic structure ranging from 100 nm to 300 nm, and by block copolymer lithography in periodic structure ranging from 1 nm to 100 nm. Shapes of infrared receiver 12 and beam 13 are drawn by photolithography, and the beam layer is spatially separated from base substrate 11 by selective etching.
[0045] For infrared detection by the thermistor scheme, thermistor 19 made of Pt or other material is formed on infrared receiver 12 by photolithography, spattering process, or other methods. Furthermore, in the following process, infrared absorption layer 16 made of an infrared absorption material, such as gold black, is formed on infrared receiver 12 by photolithography and spattering process. In addition, electric wire 15 is formed on part of beam 13 by photolithography and spattering process, which electrically connects between thermistor 19 formed on a light receiver and signal processing circuit 14 provided on base substrate 11. For the thermistor scheme, when an infrared ray enters infrared receiver 12, signal processing circuit 14 monitors temperature variations of resistance of the thermistor caused by the incoming infrared ray to determine an amount of incoming infrared ray, and thus signal processing circuit 14 functions as an infrared sensor.
[0046] Meanwhile, for infrared detection by the thermopile scheme, the semiconductor material that forms beam 13 functions as a thermocouple. In order to cause beam 13 to function as a thermocouple, as illustrated in
Second Exemplary Embodiment
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[0048] In
[0049] Period P of phononic domain 21 in the infrared sensor according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is preferably in a range from 1 nm to 300 nm. This is because a wavelength of the heat-carrying phonon ranges mainly from 1 nm to 300 nm.
[0050] When definitions are established such that a first periodic structure is a periodic structure having the greatest period inside phononic domain 21 in the infrared sensor according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and that a second periodic structure is a periodic structure arranged in a gap of the first periodic structure, the gap between the adjacent through holes in the first periodic structure needs to be equal to or larger than five periods of the through holes of the second periodic structure. Period P.sub.1 of the first periodic structure and period P.sub.2 of the second periodic structure preferably satisfy a relationship of P.sub.1/P.sub.2≧10. This is because, while the heat band is widely distributed in a frequency band different by about three orders of magnitude, a center frequency of the PBG formed by the first periodic structure and a center frequency of the PBG formed by the second periodic structure need to be designed to be different by 10 times or more. When the center frequencies of both PBGs are close to each other, an effect of multi-periodic structure is reduced. As long as the above relationship is satisfied, a relationship D/P of the diameter and the period of the through holes in the first periodic structure and the second periodic structure may be designed in any way. It is necessary to appropriately set D/P so as to prevent adjacent through holes from coming into contact with each other.
[0051] While a circular shape or polygonal shape may be used as an in-plane shape of phononic domain 21 in the infrared sensor according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the periodic structure having the maximum period in the phononic domain is defined as the first periodic structure, an in-plane size preferably satisfies a condition that a length of one side is equal to or greater than 5P.sub.1 and that an area is equal to or greater than 25P.sub.1.sup.2 with respect to period P.sub.1 of the first periodic structure. This is because formation of PBG needs a uniform periodic structure of at least five periods.
[0052] Examples of unit lattice that forms the periodic structure of the phononic domain in the infrared sensor according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure include a tetragonal lattice (
[0053] The infrared sensor according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can be manufactured by the same method as the method for manufacturing the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment.
Third Exemplary Embodiment
[0054]
[0055] Thus, formation of a plurality of periodic structures in one phononic domain allows formation of a plurality of PBGs at one time. Formation of the periodic structures in such a manner that the heat band is located between a plurality of PBGs allows reduction in group velocity of phonon of the heat band by a band end effect, providing an effect of further reduction in thermal conductivity. In the third exemplary embodiment, beam 13 has different periodic structures between adjacent phononic domains, as in the first exemplary embodiment. In beam 13 of the infrared sensor according to the third exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in
[0056] Period P.sub.s of micro periodic structures 27 of subphononic domain 28 in the infrared sensor according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is preferably in a range from 1 nm to 30 nm. Meanwhile, period P.sub.m of macro periodic structure 29 constituted by subphononic domain 28 is preferably in a range from 10 nm to 300 nm corresponding to the period of micro periodic structure 27.
[0057] In micro periodic structure 27 that constitutes subphononic domain 28, it is necessary that the through holes are aligned for five periods or more. This condition also applies to macro periodic structure 29 constituted by phononic domain 21.
[0058] A circular shape or polygonal shape may be used as an in-plane shape of phononic domain 21 in the infrared sensor according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. An in-plane size of the phononic domain according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure preferably satisfies a condition that a length of one side is equal to or greater than 5P.sub.m, and that an area is equal to or greater than 25P.sub.m.sup.2 with respect to period P.sub.m of macro periodic structure 29 constituted by phononic domain 21. This is because formation of PBG needs a uniform periodic structure of at least five periods.
[0059] Examples of unit lattice that forms the macro periodic structure and the micro periodic structure in the infrared sensor according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure include a tetragonal lattice (
[0060] The infrared sensor according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can be manufactured by the same method as the method for manufacturing the infrared sensor according to the first exemplary embodiment.
[0061] The present disclosure provides excellent thermal insulation effect throughout the beam by performing micro fabrication so as to increase the period of the through holes at arbitrary intervals in the direction from the infrared receiver toward the base substrate inside the beam. As a result, the present disclosure can provide the infrared sensor with excellent sensitivity.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0062] 11 base substrate [0063] 12 infrared receiver [0064] 13 beam [0065] 14 signal processing circuit [0066] 15 electric wire [0067] 16 infrared absorption layer [0068] 17 infrared ray [0069] 18 thermopile [0070] 19 thermistor wire [0071] 20 through hole [0072] 21 phononic domain [0073] 22 unit lattice [0074] 23 p-type semiconductor [0075] 24 n-type semiconductor [0076] 25 first periodic structure [0077] 26 second periodic structure [0078] 27 micro periodic structure [0079] 28 subphononic domain [0080] 29 macro periodic structure