Characterizations of VO2-based uncooled microbolometer linear array

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films are materials for uncooled microbolometer due to their high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) at room temperature. This paper describes the design and fabrication of eight-element uncooled microbolometer linear array using the films and micromachining technology. The characteristics of the array is investigated in the spectral region of 8-12 mum. The fabricated detectors exhibit responsivity of over 10 kV/W, detectivity of approximate 1.94 x 10(8) cm Hz(1/2)/W, and thermal time constant of ii ms, at 300 K and at a frequency of 30 Hz. Furthermore, the uncorrected response uniformity of the linear array bolometers is less than 20%. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.