Antenna-coupled microbolometer based uncooled 2D array and camera for 2D real-time terahertz imaging

François Simoens (1) , J. Meilhan (1) , S. Gidon (1) , G. Lasfargues (1) , J. Lalanne Dera (1) , J.L. Ouvrier-Buffet (1) , S. Pocas (1) , W. Rabaud (1) , F. Guellec (1) , B. Dupont (1) , S. Martin (1) , Anne-Catherine Simon (2)

1 CEA-LETI - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives - Laboratoire d'Electronique et de Technologie de l'Information
2 LOAD - Laboratoire Outils d'Analyse des Données

CEA-Leti has developed a monolithic large focal plane array bolometric technology optimized for 2D real-time imaging in the terahertz range. Each pixel consists in a silicon microbolometer coupled to specific antennas and a resonant quarter-wavelength cavity. First prototypes of imaging arrays have been designed and manufactured for optimized sensing in the 1-3.5THz range where THz quantum cascade lasers are delivering high optical power. NEP in the order of 1 pW/sqrt(Hz) has been assessed at 2.5 THz. This paper reports the steps of this development, starting from the pixel level, to an array associated monolithically to its CMOS ROIC and finally a stand-alone camera. For each step, modeling, technological prototyping and experimental characterizations are presented.

Keywords: Experimental characterization; High optical power; Microbolometer; Monolithic FPA; Quarter-wavelength; Terahertz imaging; THz quantum cascade laser; Uncooled; Bolometer; Camera; Optimization; Pixels; Temperature sensor; Antenna; sensor; instrumentation; modelling; Electronic architecture; laser

Domains: Physics [physics]; Optics / Photonic; Electronics

François Simoens, J. Meilhan, S. Gidon, G. Lasfargues, J. Lalanne Dera, et al.. Antenna-coupled microbolometer based uncooled 2D array and camera for 2D real-time terahertz imaging. Terahertz Emitters, Receivers, and Applications IV, SPIE, Aug 2013, San Diego, CA, United States. pp.88460O, ⟨10.1117/12.2024861⟩. ⟨cea-01823919⟩