Design and Simulation of Device-Level Vacuum-Packaged Microbolometer With Integrated Optical Filter

In this paper, we have reported the design and simulation of uncooled microbolometer infrared radiation detectors. We have demonstrated several improvements in design over the conventional microbolometers such a double-layer absorption structure instead of single-layer absorber; a nanomesh radiation absorber to improve thermal isolation of the thermometer structure; device-level vacuum packaging which serves to limit thermal convection away from the detector; the monolithic integration of an optical filter into the device-level vacuum package to reduce the absorption of visible radiation and thus reduce the photo-generation of carriers in the amorphous silicon thermometer.