• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• 제8권5호
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• pp.196-200
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• 2007

In this paper, we propose and discuss the design using a simple method that reduces the fixed pattern noise(FPN) generated on the amorphous Si($\alpha-Si$) bolometer. This method is applicable to an IR image sensor. This method can also minimize the size of the reference resistor in the readout integrated circuit(ROIC) which processes the signal of an IR image sensor. By connecting four bolometer cells in parallel and averaging the resistances of the bolometer cells, the fixed pattern noise generated in the bolometer cell due to process variations is remarkably reduced. Moreover an $\alpha-Si$ bolometer cell, which is made by a MEMS process, has a large resistance value to guarantee an accurate resistance value. This makes the reference resistor be large. In the proposed cell structure, because the bolometer cells connected in parallel have a quarter of the original bolometer's resistance, a reference resistor, which is made by poly-Si in a CMOS process chip, is implemented to be the size of a quarter. We designed a ROIC with the proposed cell structure and implemented the circuit using a 0.35 um CMOS process.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.89-92
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• 2010

A bolometer sensor used in an infrared thermal imaging system has many advantages on the process because it does not need a separate cooling system and its manufacturing is easy. However the sensitivity of the bolometer is low and the fixed pattern noise(FPN) is large, because the bolometer sensor is made by micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). These problems can be fixed-by using the high performance readout integrated circuit(ROIC) with noise reduction techniques. In this paper, we propose differential delta sampling circuit to remove the mismatch noise of ROIC itself, the FPN of the bolometer. And for reduction of FPN noise, the reference signal compensation circuit which compensate the reference signal by using on-resistance of MOS transistor was proposed.

• 전기학회논문지P
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• 제59권4호
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• pp.450-455
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• 2010

The performance modeling of a $25{\mu}m$ pitch VGA ${\mu}$-bolometer with the self-aligned thermal resistor structure is carried out. The self-aligned thermal resistor can be utilized for the maximizing the thermal resistance and the fill factor of a bolometer, so the performance improvement can be expected. From the results of the performance modeling of the micro-bolometer with self-align thermal resistor for a $25{\mu}m$ pitch $640{\times}480$ microbolometer designed with $0.6{\mu}m$ minimum feature size, the drastic improvements of NETD from 38.7 mK to 19.1 mK, responsivity of 1.9 times are expected with a self aligned thermal resistor structure. The main reason for the performance improvements with a self-aligned thermal resistor structure comes from the increasement of the thermal resistance.

• 전기의세계
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.24-29
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• 2002

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2009년도 하계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.238-239
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• 2009

The amorphous silicon microbolometer array has been developed by the MEMS design and fabrication technology. Before the bolometer array for the image sensor being designed, the structure of unit cell and $16\times16$ array of it was simulated, designed and fabricated. The properties of bolometer have been measured as such that the TCR -3%/K.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제27권7호
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• pp.452-457
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• 2014

Copper manganite thin films were fabricated on $SiN_x/Si$ substrate by metal organic decomposition (MOD) process. They were burned-out at $400^{\circ}C$ and annealed at various temperatures ($400{\sim}800^{\circ}C$) for 1h in ambient atmosphere. Their micro-structure and negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) characteristics were analyzed for micro-bolometer application. The copper manganite film with a cubic spinel structure was well developed at $500^{\circ}C$ which confirmed by XRD and HRTEM analysis. It showed a low resistivity ($47.5{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$) at room temperature and high NTCR characteristics of $-4.12%/^{\circ}C$ and $-2.15%/^{\circ}C$ at room temperature and $85^{\circ}C$, implying a good thin film for micro-bolometer application. Furthermore, its crystallinity was enhanced with increasing temperature to $600^{\circ}C$. However, the appearance of secondary phase at temperatures higher than $600^{\circ}C$ lead to deteriorate the NTCR characteristics.

• 센서학회지
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.327-332
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• 2013

Nickel oxide films using RF sputter was formed on the $SiO_2/Si$ substrate at the room temperature controlled with water circulation system. The feasibility of nickel oxide film as a bolometric material was demonstrated. GIXRD spectrum on NiO(111), NiO(200), and NiO(220) orientation expected as the main peaks were appeared in the grown nickel oxide films. The typical resistivity acquired at the RF power of 100W was about $34.25{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$. And it was reduced to $18.65{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ according to the increase of the RF power to 400W. The TCR of fabricated micro-bolometer with the resistivity of $34.25{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ was $-2.01%/^{\circ}C$. The characteristics of fabricated nickel oxide film and micro-bolometer were analyzed with XRD pattern, resistivity, TCR, and SEM images.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2001년도 추계학술대회 논문집 Vol.14 No.1
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• pp.558-561
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• 2001

Vanadium oxide ($VO_x$) thin films are very good candidate material for uncooled infrared (IR) detectors due to their high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) at room temperature. But, the deposition of $VO_x$ thin films showing good electrical properties is very difficult in micro bolometer fabrication process using sacrificial layer removal because of its low process temperature and thickness of thin films less than $1000{\AA}$. This paper presents a new fabrication process of $VO_x$ thin films having high TCR and low resistance. Through sandwich structure of $VO_{x}(100{\AA})/V(80{\AA})/VO_{x}(500{\AA})$ by sputter method and post-annealing at oxygen ambient, we have achieved high TCR more than $-2%/^{\circ}C$ and low resistance less than $10K\Omega$ at room temperature.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2001년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.558-561
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• 2001

Vanadium oxide ($VO_{x}$) thin films are very good candidate material for uncooked infrared (IR) detectors due to their high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) at room temperature. But, the deposition of $VO_{x}$ thin films showing good electrical properties is very difficult in micro bolometer fabrication process using sacrificial layer removal because of its low process temperature and thickness of thin films less than 1000${\AA}$. This paper presents a new fabrication process of $VO_{x}$ thin films having high TCR and low resistance. Through sandwich structure of $VO_{x}$(100${\AA}$)/V(80${\AA}$)/$VO_{x}$(500${\AA}$) by sputter method and post-annealing at oxygen ambient, we have achieved high TCR more than -2%/$^{\circ}C$ and low resistance less than $10K\Omega$ at room temperature.

• 전자공학회논문지SC
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.19-29
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• 2003

본 논문에서는 기존의 방법과는 달리 4 단계의 보정 기법을 적용하여 미세한 적외선 (infrared : IR) 신호를 검출해내는 비냉각 적외선 센서 어레이를 위한 CMOS 신호 검출회로를 제안한다. 제안하는 신호 검출회로는 11 비트의 A/D 변환기 (analog-to digital converter : ADC)와 7 비트의 D/A 변환기(digital to-analog converter : DAC), 그리고 자동 이득 조절 회로 (automatic gain control circuit : AGC)로 구성되며, 비냉각 센서 어레이를 동작시키는 DC 바이어스 전류 성분, 화소간의 특성 차이에 의한 변화 성분과 자체 발열 (self-heating)에 의한 변화 성분을 포함하는 적외선 센서 어레이의 출력 신호로부터 미세한 적외선 신호 성분만을 선택적으로 얻어낸다. 제안하는 A/D 변환기에서는 병합 캐패시터 스위칭(merged-capacitor switching : MCS) 기법을 적용하여 면적 및 전력 소모를 최소화하였으며, D/A 변환기에서는 출력단에 높은 선형성을 가지는 전류 반복기를 사용하여 화소간의 특성 차이에 의한 변화 성분과 자체 발열에 의한 변화 성분을 보정할 수 있도록 하였다. 시제품으로 제작된 신호 검출회로는 1.2 um double-poly double-metal CMOS 공정을 사용하였으며, 4.5 V 전원전압에서 110 ㎽의 전력을 소모한다. 제작된 시제품으로부터 측정된 검출회로의 differential nonlinearity (DNL)와 integral nonlinearity (INL)는 A/D 변환기의 경우 11 비트의 해상도에서 ±0.9 LSB와 ±1.8 LSB이며, D/A 변환기의 경우 7비트의 해상도에서 ±0.1 LSB와 ±0.1 LSB이다.