Low-Cost Fabrication of Pyroelectric thin films for IR Sensors by Combustion CVD

Stimulated by the rapidly increasing commercial and military applications, the U.S. infrared sensor market will double from 1994 to 2001, will be over $1.3 billion by the year of 2001 with an annual growth rate of about 12% as predicted by Frost & Sullivan. Reduction in cost, size, weight and power consumption is crucial to both commercial and military applications. In addition, integrated devices and systems compatible with typical semiconductor process are becoming more and more needed. To meet these requirements, pyroelectric thin films are being used to develop new classes of infrared sensors with high sensitivity, low noise, low power consumption and smaller size. Using its innovative, high volume, low cost and open-air Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) technique, MCT?s proposed Phase I program is to deposit dense, textured pyroelectric thin films on single crystal substrates for the applications of infrared (IR) sensors for non-contact temperature measurement, gas analysis, IR imaging, etc. and to evaluate the chemical, dielectric and pyroelectric properties of these films.