Monolithic silicon bolometers as sensitive MM-wave detectors

We report the development of a waveguide-coupled monolithic Si bolometer for applications in low-background millimeter-wave astrophysical observations. In this device, the absorber of the bolometer is a narrow Bi-coated Si substrate oriented along the E-plane of the waveguide. This design allows efficient coupling of bolometers to waveguide. We measured these devices to have a high coupling efficiency, an electrical responsivity /spl ap/2/spl times/10/sup 9/ V/W, and electrical noise equivalent power (NEP) /spl ap/10/sup -17/ W//spl radic/(Hz) at /spl sim/100 mK.<>