Highly sensitive infrared temperature sensor using self-heating compensated microbolometers

This paper experimentally demonstrates a novel technique that drastically reduces the self-heating effect in microbolometers and which can be used to enhance the response due to infrared (IR). This is accomplished by using two bolometers with tailored thermal parameters, in particular, similar thermal mass but different thermal conductivity. Test devices with responsivity of over 6000 V/W at bias voltage of 3 V have been fabricated. Results indicate that this method is robust even under considerable mismatch of device parameters. We believe that this technique would pave way for realization of relatively simple, low cost and sensitive IR detectors for use in thermometry, imaging and other IR applications. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.