Oxide thin film for bolometer and infrared detector using the oxide thin film

• US 6,489,613 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1999
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Toru, Kawano, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gabor, Otilia
• Application Number:
  US09/387,878
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 250/338.1, 250/338.4, 250/332, 250/342
• US Class Current: 250/338.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/20 using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02565 Oxide semiconducting materials not being Group 12/16 materials, e.g. ternary compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02581 Transition metal or rare earth elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 15/00 Thermoelectric devices without a junction of dissimilar materials; Thermomagnetic devices, e.g. using the Nernst-Ettingshausen effect integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00

Abstract

An oxide thin film for bolometer having a vanadium oxide represented by VO_x, where x satisfies 1.5≦x≦2.0, part of vanadium ion in the vanadium oxide being substituted by metal ion M, where the metal ion M is at least one of chromium (Cr), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta) and titanium (Ti). Also, provided is an infrared detector having a bolometer thin film defined above. The oxide thin film for bolometer offers a low resistivity and a large TCR value. Also, the infrared detector offers a finer temperature resolution capability (NETD) as low as 0.03° C.

Claims

1. An oxide thin film for bolometer, comprising:

a vanadium oxide represented by VO_x, where x satisfies 1.5≦

x≦

2.0,

wherein part of vanadium ion in said vanadium oxide is substituted by metal ion M, where said metal ion M is composed of at least one of, aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and tantalum (Ta).

2. An oxide thin film, according to claim 1, wherein:

said vanadium oxide substituted by metal ion M is represented by V<sub>1−

a</sub>M_aO_x, where sad metal ion M substituted is composed of at least one of aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and tantalum (Ta), a is a substitute ratio of said metal ion M, and a and x satisfy 0.001≦

a≦

0.1 and 1.5≦

x≦

2.0, respectively.

3. An oxide thin film for bolometer, comprising:

a vanadium oxide represented by VO_x, where x satisfies 1.5<

x≦

2.0,

wherein part of the vanadium ion in said vanadium oxide is substituted by chromium (Cr).

4. An oxide thin film according to claim 3, wherein:

said vanadium oxide substituted by chromium (Cr) ion is represented by V<sub>1−

a</sub>Cr_aO_x, a is a substitute ratio of chromium (Cr) ion, and a satisfies 0.001≦

a≦

0.1.

5. An infrared detector, comprising:

a bolometer;

wherein said bolometer is of oxide thin film that comprises a vanadium oxide represented by VO_x, where x satisfies 1.5≦

x≦

2.0,

wherein part of the vanadium ion in said vanadium oxide is substituted by metal ion M, where said metal ion M is composed of at least one of the aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and tantalum (Ta).

6. An infrared detector, according to claim 5, wherein:

said vanadium oxide substituted by metal ion M is represented by V<sub>1−

a</sub>M_aO_x, where said metal ion M is composed of at least one of aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and tantalum (Ta), a is a substitute ratio of said metal ion M, and a and x satisfy 0.001≦

a≦

0.1 and 1.5≦

x≦

2.0, respectively.

7. An infrared detector, according to claim 5, wherein:

said infrared detector has a micro-bridge structure.

8. An infrared detector, comprising:

a bolometer;

wherein said bolometer is comprised of an oxide thin film that comprises a vanadium oxide represented by VO_x, where x satisfies 1.5<

x≦

2.0,

wherein part of vanadium ion in said vanadium oxide is substituted by chromium (Cr).

9. An infrared detector, according to claim 8, wherein:

said vanadium oxide substituted by chromium (Cr) ion is represented by V<sub>1−

a</sub>M_aO_x, a is a substitute ratio of chromium (Cr) ion, and a satisfies 0.001≦

a≦

0.1.

10. An infrared detector, according to claim 8, wherein:

said infrared detector has a micro-bridge structure.

11. An oxide thin film for bolometer, comprising:

a vanadium oxide represented by VO_x, where x is 2,

wherein part of the vanadium ion in said vanadium oxide is substituted by chromium (Cr).

12. An oxide thin film according to claim 11, wherein:

said vanadium oxide substituted by chromium (Cr) ion is represented by V<sub>1−

a</sub>Cr_aO_x, a is a substitute ratio of chromium (Cr) ion, and a satisfies 0.001≦

a≦

0.1.

13. An infrared detector, comprising:

a bolometer,

wherein said bolometer is composed of an oxide thin film that comprises a vanadium oxide represented by VO_x, where x is 2.0,

wherein part of vanadium ion in said vanadium oxide is substituted by chromium (Cr).

14. An infrared detector, according to claim 13, wherein:

said vanadium oxide substituted by chromium (Cr) ion is represented by V<sub>1−

a</sub>Cr_aOx, a is a substitute ratio of chromium (Cr) ion, and a satisfies 0.001≦

a≦

0.1.

15. An infrared detector, according to claim 13, wherein:

said infrared detector has a micro-bridge structure.