Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Films with Embedded Nanocrystals for Thermal Detectors with Very High Sensitivity

Cesar Calleja, Alfonso Torres, Pedro Rosales-Quintero, Mario Moreno
2016 Journal of Nanotechnology  
We have optimized the deposition conditions of amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nanocrystals in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor, working at a standard frequency of 13.56 MHz. The objective was to produce films with very large Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR), which is a signature of the sensitivity in thermal detectors (microbolometers). Morphological, electrical, and optical characterization were performed in the films, and we found optimal
more » ... conditions for obtaining films with very high values of thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR = 7.9% K−1). Our results show that amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nanocrystals can be used as thermosensitive films in high performance infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) used in commercial thermal cameras.
doi:10.1155/2016/5807940 fatcat:yqudeykq2baujkbhpvil4zoqva