Work

Metamaterial-integrated microbolometer focal plane arrays for multispectral imaging in the mid- and long-wavelength infrared

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This work presents the first multispectral imager consisting of microbolometer focal plane arrays with plasmonic metamaterial absorbers and integrated readout circuitry for imaging in the mid-wavelength and long-wavelength infrared. The fabrication is carried out in a post-CMOS manufacturing process on 200 mm wafers. Existing microbolometer technology featuring a pixel pitch of 17 µm was used as a platform, resulting in metamaterial-integrated microbolometers that are four times smaller than the smallest reported to date. The most responsive detectors produced have a noise-equivalent temperature difference of 151 ± 5 mK, enabling recordings at a frame rate of 30 Hz. Multispectral thermography images are provided as an application example and demonstrate successful implementation.

Source: Optics Letters

DOI: 10.1364/ol.573586

Authors: Alexander Litke, Elahe Zakizade, Sascha Weyers, Anna Lena Schall-Giesecke

Institutions: Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, University of Duisburg-Essen

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Semiconductor Detectors and Materials

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Funders: Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

Awards: Verbundprojekt: Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland - Fraunhofer-Verbund Mikroelektronik in Kooperation mit den Leibniz-Instituten FBH und IHP - FMD -, Teilvorhaben: Prozessausrüstung für die Heterointegration von III-V Halbleitern auf Bi-CMOS, THz Anwendungen und Wide-Band-Gap Leistungselektronik, G3406491666, Verbundprojekt: Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland - Fraunhofer-Verbund Mikroelektronik in Kooperation mit den Leibniz-Instituten FBH und IHP - FMD -, Teilvorhaben: Prozessausrüstung für 'More-than-Moore' Technologien in der FMD, Verbundprojekt: Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland - Fraunhofer-Verbund Mikroelektronik in Kooperation mit den Leibniz-Instituten FBH und IHP - FMD -, Teilvorhaben der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. in der Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland