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Published February 2018 | Published + Supplemental Material
Journal Article Open

12−μm-Pitch Electromechanical Resonator for Thermal Sensing

Abstract

We provide here a demonstration of 12−μm-pitch nanoelectromechanical resonant infrared sensors with fully integrated capacitive transduction. A low-temperature fabrication process is used to manufacture torsional resonator arrays. An H-shaped pixel with 9−μm-long nanorods and (250×30)−nm^2 cross section is designed to provide high thermal response whose experimental measurements reach up to 1024  Hz/nW. A mechanical dynamic range of over 113 dB is obtained, which leads to an Allan deviation of σ_A = 3×10^(−7) at room temperature and 50-Hz noise bandwidth (σ_A = 1.5×10^(−7) over 10 Hz). These features allow us to reach a sensitivity of (8–12)−μm radiation of 27  pW/√Hz leading to a noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of 2 K for a 50-Hz noise bandwidth (NETD = 1.5  K at 10 Hz). We demonstrate that the resolution is no more set by the phonon noise but by the anomalous phase noise already encountered in flexural nanoresonators. By both improving the temperature coefficient of frequency of a factor 10 and using a readout electronics at the pixel level, these resonators will lead to a breakthrough for uncooled infrared detectors. We expect that the NETD will rapidly drop to 180 mK with electronics close to the pixel. As a result of the features of our torsional resonators, an alternative readout scheme of pixels is suggested.

Additional Information

© 2018 American Physical Society. Received 24 May 2017; revised manuscript received 28 August 2017; published 15 February 2018. The authors acknowledge financial support from the LETI Carnot Institute MOTION project. They also thank P. Imperinetti, M. Sansa, and G. Jourdan for their helpful support with the component fabrication and characterizations.

Attached Files

Published - PhysRevApplied.9.024016.pdf

Supplemental Material - SM_-_12_m-pitch_electromechanical_resonator_for_thermal_sensing_Vf.pdf

Files

PhysRevApplied.9.024016.pdf
Files (2.9 MB)

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 18, 2023