Fabrication of Wavelength Selective Germanium Dielectric Supported Microbolometers

This paper describes the microfabrication process and characterization of wavelength selective germanium dielectric supported microbolometers, which should be compatible with standard microbolometer fabrication processes. Here we have demonstrated a micro fabricated robust germanium dielectric structure layer that replaces the usual silicon nitride structural layer in microbolometers. The fabricated microbolometers consist of a chromium resistive sheet as an absorber layer above an air-gap/germanium dielectric structure.