Diode-based microbolometer with performance enhanced by broadband metamaterial absorber

This Letter reports a microbolometer integrated with a broadband metamaterial absorber (MMA) to enhance its performance, which contains series-connected silicon diodes as the temperature sensor. The broadband MMA is readily integrated into the device by introducing an array of different-sized square resonators on the silicon nitride structural layer, while the widened titanium interconnecting wires between individual diodes serve as the ground plane. In a comparative experiment, the broadband MMA was demonstrated to be superior to the ordinary silicon nitride absorber in a broad spectra range, especially in a long-wavelength IR regime, which directly leads to an increase in IR responsivity by 60%. More importantly, this enhancement in responsivity was achieved with no sacrifice of the response time due to the negligible thermal mass of the introduced resonator array.