Design and fabrication of linear array IR bolometers using VO2 thin films

Vanadium dioxide thin films are materials for uncooled microbolometer due to their high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) at room temperature. This paper describes the design and fabrication of 8-element linear array IR uncooled detectors using the films and micromachining technology. The characteristics of the array is investigated in the spectral region of 8-12 mum. The fabricated detectors exhibit responsivity of over 10KV/W, detectivity typically exceeding 1.0x10(8)cmHz(1/2)/W, and thermal time constant of 11ms, at 300K and at a frequency of 30Hz. Furthermore, The uncorrected response uniformity of the linear array bolometers is less than 20%.