Temperature-induced transient noise of pyroelectric thermal detector

An analysis of temperature-induced transient noise for a thermal detector prepared with Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3-Pb(Sb0.5Nb0.5)O-3 (PZT-PSN) pyroelectric ceramics as the sensing element is conducted by measuring its oven noise as a function of the junction field-effect transistor (JFET) characteristics, gate resistance, low-temperature heat treatment, chemical composition and the grain size of the pyroelectric ceramic. Pyroelectric wafers are prepared by the mixed oxide technique, and thermal sensors are fabricated with a PZT-PSN ceramic wafer, JFET, chip-type gate resistor, alumina PCB (printed circuit board) and a TO-5 package with antireflective (AR)-coated Si window. Thermal detector noise depends on the chemical composition of the pyroelectric sensing element. The temperature-induced transient JFET noise varies with its characteristics and gate resistance and is reduced by connecting a pyroelectric sensing element with high capacitance. The pyroelectric ceramic sensing element generates burst noise in the region from 7 to -10 degreesC during cooling, which is remarkably reduced by reducing the grain size of the pyroelectric ceramic and/or by cyclic heat treatment at a low temperature. Thus, burst noise has a strong relationship with the elastic energies within the ceramic sensing element and the bonding material between the sensing wafer and the PCB, originating in the different thermal expansion between pyroelectric sensing wafer and alumina PCB. (C) 2000 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [S0091-3286(00)00810-2].