<title>Growth and properties of semiconductor bolometers for infrared detection</title>

Abstract

This paper describes the growth and properties of micro-machined semiconductor microbolometers. These thermally isolated structures are employed in uncooled infrared detectors developed at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). Recent research is focused towards developing high performance bolometers from the amorphous and more recently the microcrystalline phases of the SiGe:H material system. Particular attention is given to materials and material growth techniques that maximize the responsivity and minimize the electronic excess noise. The basic design, materials science, and performance of these bolometers for detecting infrared radiation are described in this paper.