Microbolometer

A method for forming an integrated circuit structure, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a semiconductor material with an electronic circuit formed in such material;
• forming a support layer of thermally insulating material over the substrate, such layer having an opening formed therein exposing an electrical contact regions to the electronic circuit;
• forming a patterned layer of electrically conductive material over the support layer with proximal ends thereof in electrical contact with the exposed contact region to the electronic circuit, such electrically conductive material being pattern with distal ends thereof formed in different, separated regions on the platform of the thermally insulating layer;
• using the patterned electrically conductive layer as a mask for selectively removing portions of the support layer exposed by the patterned electrically conductive layer while leaving portions of the support layer under such patterned electrically conductive layer.

A method for forming an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a semiconductor material with an electronic circuit formed in such material;
• forming a removable support layer over a surface of the substrate, such removable support layer having an opening formed therein exposing an electrical contact region to the electronic circuit;
• forming a layer of insulating material over the removable support layer, such layer of insulating material having an opening formed therein exposing the electrical contact region to the electronic circuit;
• forming a patterned layer of metal over the insulating layer into two separated regions each with proximal ends being on the exposed contact region to the electronic circuit and distal ends being disposed on the two different regions of the platform;
• forming a layer of infrared sensing material over the layer of metal with peripheral portions thereof in electrical contact with a corresponding one of the different separated regions of the patterned layer of metal, such infrared material into a patch of such material;
• using the patterned layer of metal as a mask for selectively removing portions of the insulating layer exposed by the patterned layer of metal;
• and,
• removing the removable support layer leaving the infrared sensing patch, portions of the insulating layer disposed under such patch, and distal portions of the patterned layer of metal suspended over the substrate with proximal ends of such patterned layer of metal in electrical contact with the electrical contact regions of the electronic circuit.