PYROELECTRIC DETECTORS BY EPITAXIAL CVD GROWTH ON SILICON

NON-CRYOGENIC, INFRARED DETECTOR ARRAYS SUITABLE FOR OPERATION BETWEEN 10 AND 16 MICRONS CAN BE FABRICATED FROM PYRO-ELECTRIC THIN FILMS, SUCH AS STRONTIUM-BARIUM NIOBATE. DETECTOR SENSITIVITY, HOWEVER, IS LIMITED BY FILM THICKNESS. SENSITIVITY CAN BE INCREASED BY DECREASING FILM THICKNESS, BUT MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CURRENTLY SETS A LIMIT BELOW WHICH THICKNESS CANNOT BE REDUCED. METALORGANICCHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (MOCVD) WILL BE EXPLORED AS A MEANS OF REMOVING THIS RESTRICTION, MAKING POSSIBLE A NEW CLASS OF MORE SENSITIVE, NON-CRYOGENIC, INFRARED DETECTORS. THE EFFORT WILL CAPITALIZE ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THIN-FILM SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY TO GROW (SRBA)NB2 AND RELATED COMPOUNDS. MOCVD-COMPATIBLE BARIUM AND STRONTIUM PRECURSORS HAVE BEEN SYNTHESIZED WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, AND ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN LIMITED QUANTITIES. THEY WILL BE USED TO DEPOSIT FILMS ON SILICON AND SAPPHIRE SUBSTRATES, AND THE RESULTING FILMS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED WITH RESPECT TO COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE, AND THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES. NON-CRYOGENIC, INFRARED DETECTOR ARRAYS SUITABLE FOR OPERATION BETWEEN 10 AND 16 MICRONS CAN BE FABRICATED FROM PYRO-ELECTRIC THIN FILMS, SUCH AS STRONTIUM-BARIUM NIOBATE. DETECTOR SENSITIVITY, HOWEVER, IS LIMITED BY FILM THICKNESS. SENSITIVITY CAN BE INCREASED BY DECREASING FILM THICKNESS, BUT MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CURRENTLY SETS A LIMIT BELOW WHICH THICKNESS CANNOT BE REDUCED. METALORGANICCHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (MOCVD) WILL BE EXPLORED AS A MEANS OF REMOVING THIS RESTRICTION, MAKING POSSIBLE A NEW CLASS OF MORE SENSITIVE, NON-CRYOGENIC, INFRARED DETECTORS. THE EFFORT WILL CAPITALIZE ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THIN-FILM SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY TO GROW (SRBA)NB2 AND RELATED COMPOUNDS. MOCVD-COMPATIBLE BARIUM AND STRONTIUM PRECURSORS HAVE BEEN SYNTHESIZED WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, AND ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN LIMITED QUANTITIES. THEY WILL BE USED TO DEPOSIT FILMS ON SILICON AND SAPPHIRE SUBSTRATES, AND THE RESULTING FILMS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED WITH RESPECT TO COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE, AND THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES.