US 2016/0097681 A1 · Microbolometer supported by glass substrate

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for forming microbolometers on glass substrates. In one aspect, the formation of microbolometers on glass substrates can reduce the size and cost of the resultant array and associated circuitry. In one aspect, a portion of the measurement and control circuitry can be formed by thin-film deposition on the glass substrate, while sensitive measurement and control circuitry can be formed on ancillary CMOS substrates. In one aspect, the microbolometers may be packaged using a variety of techniques, including a wafer-level packaging process or a pixel-level packaging process.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a glass substrate;
an active matrix array formed over the glass substrate, the active matrix array including a plurality of thin-film transistors (TFTs);
an array of microbolometer sensors supported by the glass substrate and electrically connected to the active matrix array, each of the microbolometer sensors including:
a long-wave infrared (LWIR) absorber suspended over the glass substrate;
and
a thermistor disposed adjacent the LWIR absorber;
an LWIR-transmissive layer overlying at least one of the microbolometer sensors;
and
at least one ancillary CMOS substrate electrically connected to the active matrix array.

6 more elements

A method of fabricating a microbolometer device;

comprising:
forming an active matrix array over a glass substrate, wherein the active matrix array includes a plurality of thin-film transistors (TFTs);
forming an array of microbolometer sensors over at least a portion of the active matrix array, wherein each of the microbolometer sensors include:
a long-wave infrared (LWIR) absorber suspended over the glass substrate;
and
a thermistor disposed adjacent the LWIR absorber;
forming at least one hermetically-sealed package encapsulating the array of microbolometer sensors and including an LWIR-transmissive layer overlying at least one of the microbolometer sensors;
and
electrically connecting the active matrix array to at least one ancillary CMOS substrate including measurement or control circuitry.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/815,860Filed 14 Mar 2013

Published

7 Apr 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G01J 5/20
Using electric radiation detectors: using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
G01J 5/045
Mountings in enclosures or in a particular environment: sealings; Vacuum enclosures; Encapsulated packages; Wafer bonding structures; Getter…
G01J 5/0813
Optical arrangements: planar mirrors; Parallel phase plates
G01J 2005/202
Using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices: arrays

Microbolometer supported by glass substrate

Life of this patent

Microbolometer supported by glass substrate

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32