Thermal kinetic inductance detector

• US 9,523,777 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UChicago Argonne LLC
• Original Assignee: UChicago Argonne LLC
• Inventors: Cecil, Thomas, Gades, Lisa, Miceli, Antonio, Quaranta, Orlando
• Primary Examiner(s): Makiya, David J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jo, Taeho
• Application Number:
  US14/250,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 250/336.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1606 with other specified detectors not provided for in the other sub-groups of G01T1/16 see provisionally also G01T1/16

Abstract

A microcalorimeter for radiation detection that uses superconducting kinetic inductance resonators as the thermometers. The detector is frequency-multiplexed which enables detector systems with a large number of pixels.

Claims

1. A thermal kinetic inductance device for x-ray detection, comprising:

a superconducting inductor with thermally variable inductance thermally isolated from a heat bath;

an x-ray absorber in thermal contact with the inductor via an energy mediating layer;

a capacitor in electrical communication with the superconducting inductor;

wherein the capacitor and the superconducting inductor forming a resonant circuit and the superconducting inductor configured to undergo an inductance change from thermal energy from the x-ray absorber.

2. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, further comprising a feedline electromagnetically coupled to the inductor.

3. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, wherein capacitor comprises material selected from the group consisting of Al, Nb, WSi, Ta, TaN, TiN, NbTiN, MoGe.

4. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, wherein inductor comprises material selected from the group consisting of Al, Nb, WSi2, Ta, TaN, TiN, NbTiN, MoGe.

5. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, wherein x-ray absorber comprises material selected from the group consisting of Bi, Au, Pb, HgCdTe, HgTe, Si.

6. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, further comprising material forming an island about the x-ray absorber and extending beyond the loop of the inductor.

7. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, further comprising a thinned portion of the substrate between fingers of the capacitor.

8. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, wherein the AE is less than 10 eV and count rate is greater than 10 kcps.

9. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, wherein a SiN layer thermally isolates the superconducting inductor.

10. The thermal kinetic inductance device of claim 1, wherein the superconducting inductor is thermally isolated by a thinned crystalline silicon membrane.

11. An apparatus for x-ray detection comprising:

a thermal kinetic inductance device;

a cryostat with operating temperature near 0.1 K

a microwave synthesizer;

a low noise amplifier;

a plurality of IQ mixers;

a digitizer; and

variable attenuators.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the thermal kinetic inductance device comprises:

a superconducting inductor with thermally variable inductance thermally isolated from a heat bath;

an x-ray absorber in thermal contact with the inductor via an energy mediating layer;

a capacitor in electrical communication with the superconducting inductor;

wherein the capacitor and inductor forming a resonant circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the thermal kinetic inductance device further comprises a feedline electromagnetically coupled to the resonator.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the capacitor comprises material selected from the group consisting of Al, Nb, WSi, Ta, TaN, TiN, NbTiN, MoGe.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the inductor comprises material selected from the group consisting of Al, Nb, WSi2, Ta, TaN, TiN, NbTiN, MoGe.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the x-ray absorber comprises material selected from the group consisting of Ta, Sn, Bi, Au, Pb, W, WSi, HgCdTe, HgTe, Si.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the thermal kinetic inductance device further comprises material forming an island about the x-ray absorber and extending beyond the loop of the inductor.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the thermal kinetic inductance device further comprises a thinned portion of the substrate between fingers of the capacitor.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the Δ

E is less than 10 eV and count rate is greater than 10 kcps.

20. A method for fabricating a thermal kinetic inductance detector comprising:

fabricating a micrometer SiN membrane on a Silicon wafer;

fabricating a resonator by deposition, lithography, then etch;

fabricating a resist strip;

fabricating an absorber by lithography, followed by deposition and liftoff;

creating a SiN bridge via lithography with backside SiN membrane lithography and backside Silicon etch;

depositing a protective coating of Al; and

etching the SiN bridge.