Infrared (IR) radiation detectors are used in numerous applications from thermal imaging to spectroscopic gas sensing. Obtaining high speed and sensitivity, low-power operation, and cost-effectiveness with a single technology remains to be a challenge in the field of IR sensors. By combining nano-thermoelectric transduction and nanomembrane photonic absorbers, we demonstrate uncooled IR bolometer technology that is material-compatible with large-scale CMOS fabrication and provides fast and high sensitivity response to long-wavelength IR (LWIR) around 10 µm. The fast operation speed stems from the low heat capacity metal layer grid absorber connecting the sub-100 nm-thick n- and p-type Si nano-thermoelectric support beams, which convert the radiation induced temperature rise into voltage. The nano-thermoelectric transducer-support approach benefits from enhanced phonon surface scattering in the beams, leading to reduction in thermal conductivity, which enhances the sensitivity. We demonstrate different size nano-thermoelectric bolometric photodetector pixels with LWIR responsitivities, specific detectivities, and time constants in the ranges 179 V/W–2930 V/W, 1.5 × 10⁷ cm Hz^1/2/W–3.1 × 10⁸ cm Hz^1/2/W, and 66 µs–3600 µs, respectively. We benchmark the technology against different LWIR detector solutions and show how nano-thermoelectric detector technology can reach the fundamental sensitivity limits posed by phonon and photon thermal fluctuation noise.

中文翻译：

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纳米热电红外测辐射热计

红外（IR）辐射检测器广泛用于从热成像到光谱气体检测的各种应用。在红外传感器领域，采用单一技术获得高速，高灵敏度，低功耗运行和成本效益仍然是一个挑战。通过将纳米热电换能器和纳米膜光子吸收剂相结合，我们展示了未冷却的红外辐射热测量技术，该技术与大规模CMOS制造材料兼容，并能对10 µm左右的长波长红外（LWIR）做出快速而高灵敏度的响应。快速的运行速度归因于低热容量的金属层栅吸收器，该吸收器连接了厚度小于100 nm的n-和p型Si纳米热电支撑梁，将辐射引起的温度升高转换为电压。纳米热电换能器-支撑方法得益于光束中声子表面散射的增强，从而导致热导率降低，从而提高了灵敏度。我们展示了具有LWIR响应度，特定检测率和时间常数的不同尺寸的纳米热电辐射热探测器像素，范围为179 V / W–2930 V / W，1.5×10 ⁷  cm Hz ^1/2 /W–3.1×10 ⁸  cm Hz ^1/2 / W和66 µ s–3600 µ分别。我们针对不同的LWIR探测器解决方案对该技术进行了基准测试，并展示了纳米热电探测器技术如何达到声子和光子热波动噪声所造成的基本灵敏度极限。