Passive millimeter-wave focal plane array

Author

Middleton, Charles ; Zummo, Guy ; Weeks, Arthur ; Pergande, A. ; Mirth, Lee ; Boreman, Glenn

Author_Institution

Sch. of Opt., Central Florida Univ., Orlando, FL, USA

fYear

2004

fDate

27 Sept.-1 Oct. 2004

Firstpage

745

Lastpage

746

Abstract

We built and tested a low-cost 8-by-8 millimeter-wave focal plane array using antenna-coupled micro-bolometers. The array consists of slot antennas coupled to nickel bolometers and was fabricated using optical lithography on high-resistivity silicon wafers. The measured noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of an individual element was 450 K. Simulation results corresponded with observed device performance. An improved design was then implemented using a square spiral antenna. We discuss the fabrication of this type of array element, including some modeling results, and present the methods and results of our measurements.

Keywords

bolometers; elemental semiconductors; focal planes; millimetre wave antenna arrays; millimetre wave imaging; nickel; noise measurement; photolithography; silicon; slot antenna arrays; 450 K; NETD; Ni; Si; antenna coupled microbolometers; fabrication process; high resistivity silicon wafers; nickel bolometers; noise equivalent temperature difference; optical lithography; passive millimeter wave focal plane array; slot antennas; spiral antenna; Antenna arrays; Antenna measurements; Millimeter wave measurements; Millimeter wave technology; Optical arrays; Optical coupling; Optical noise; Slot antennas; Temperature measurement; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Infrared and Millimeter Waves, 2004 and 12th International Conference on Terahertz Electronics, 2004. Conference Digest of the 2004 Joint 29th International Conference on

Print_ISBN

0-7803-8490-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ICIMW.2004.1422307

Filename

1422307