Smart CMOS mid-infrared sensor array

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Mid-infrared imaging requires compact, cost-effective sensors.
• Existing thermopile arrays often face challenges with size and fabrication complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel single-chip thermopile sensor array for mid-infrared room temperature imaging.
• To demonstrate a compact and simplified fabrication process for thermopile arrays.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication on a single complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) dielectric membrane.
• Utilizing single-crystal silicon (Si) p+ and n+ elements.
• Employing standard CMOS tungsten metal layers for cold junction heatsinking.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a 16x16 pixel device with 34 V/W responsivity.
• Achieved enhanced optical absorption in the 8-14 μm waveband.
• Sensor performance is suitable for gesture recognition and people-counting.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensor array is simple, low-cost, and compact.
• It offers attractive on-chip capabilities for mid-infrared applications.
• The technology is well-suited for real-time imaging tasks.