Thermal sensor and method of making same

A two-level microbridge infrared thermal detector appratus comprising:

• a pixel on a semiconductor substrate, said pixel having a lower section the surface of said substrate and an upper detector planar section spaced from and immediately above said lower section;
• said lower section including integrated circuit means;
• said upper detector planar section (a) comprising a temperature responsive detector of an oxide of vanadium characterized by having a high TCR and a resistivity in the range of 20K ohms to 50K ohms per square sheet resistance and (b) being supported above said lower section by leg portions of an oxide of vanadium characterized by having a relatively low resitivity;
• and
• said leg portions (a) being electrically connected to said detector and said integrated circuit means, and (b) providing thermal isolation for said temperature responsive detector.

A two-level microbridge uncooled infrared thermal detector apparatus comprising:

• and array of pixels on a semiconductor substrate, each of said pixels having a lower section on the surface of said substrate and associated upper detector planar section spaced from and immediately above said lower section;
• each of said lower section including integrated circuit means;
• and
• each of said upper detector planar sections (a) comprising a temperature responsive detector of an oxide of vanadium characterized by having a high TCR and a resistivity in the range of 5K ohms to 300K ohms per square sheet resistance, and (b) being electrically connected to the integrated circuit means of its associated lower section by conductors of and oxide of vanadium characterized by having a resistivity in the range of 250 to 1,000 ohms per square sheet resistance.

A two-level microbridge uncooled infrared thermal detector appratus comprising;

• an array of pixels on a semiconductor substrate, each of said pixels having a lower section on the surface of said substrate and an associated upper detector planar section spaced from and immediately above said lower section;
• each of said lower sections including integrated circuit means;
• and
• each of said upper detector plan sections (a) comprising a temperature responsive detector of an oxide of vanadium characterized by having a high TCR and a resistivity in the range of 5K ohms to 300K ohms per square sheet resistance, and (b) being electrically connected to the integrated circuit means of its associated lower section by conductors of an oxide of vanadium characterized by having a relatively low resistivity.