Assessing the Aging Effect on Ti/Au Bilayers for Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) Detectors

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Cryogenic Engineering
• Detector Physics

Background:

• Transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeters are advanced cryogenic detectors.
• These detectors utilize superconducting films for sensitive particle or photon detection.
• A new production line is being established for TES detectors as cryogenic anticoincidence (veto) devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop stable TES detectors for a new production line.
• To investigate and mitigate aging effects on Ti/Au bilayer sensors.
• To characterize sensor performance over time and validate fabrication processes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Ti/Au bilayer thin films using electron beam evaporation on silicon substrates.
• Microfabrication of patterned and non-patterned sensor geometries with varying thicknesses.
• Repeated resistance-temperature (R-T) measurements over time to assess sensor stability and degradation.

Main Results:

• Initial R-T measurement data collected for different Ti/Au bilayer samples.
• Characterization of sensor performance degradation due to aging effects.
• Evaluation of an annealing procedure as a potential remedy for sensor aging.

Conclusions:

• The study provides foundational data for a new TES detector production line.
• Aging effects on Ti/Au sensors were investigated, and a potential mitigation strategy was tested.
• This work contributes to the development of reliable cryogenic detectors for scientific applications.