Infrared detection with intrinsically conductive conjugated polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12232340-B2
Application number	US-202117390277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2021
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A photoconductive infrared detector comprising a substrate, an electrode geometry, and a layer of intrinsically conductive or photoconductive donor-acceptor conjugated polymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photoconductive detector with an organic active layer comprising:
a substrate;
an electrode geometry positioned on the substrate and including:
a first transmission line having a terminal end;
a second transmission line having a terminal end, wherein the first and second transmission lines are spaced apart to define a gap, the gap between the first and second transmission lines acting as one pixel;

a first layer at least partially covering the gap; and
a second layer at least partially covering the polymer, wherein the second layer is configured as an encapsulant.

2. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is formed of one of alumina, silica, zinc selenide, germanium, barium fluoride, germanium-arsenide-selenide, gallium arsenide, glass, fused silica (“quartz”), silicon, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, zinc sulphide, and magnesium aluminate.

3. The photoconductive detector claim 1 , wherein the first layer is formed of an oligomer or polymer with a conjugated structure, narrow bandgap, is electrically conductive, and possesses open-shell character.

4. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is a spin-coated, donor-acceptor conjugated polymer layer.

5. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is deposited by oxidative chemical vapor deposition.

6. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , further comprising:
pulse capture electronics;
cascaded pre-amplifier circuitry; and
an analog-to-digital converter.

7. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , wherein the electrode geometry is biased with an RF or DC potential less than a dielectric breakdown threshold of the substrate.

8. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer is optically transparent.

9. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a contact pad operably coupled with one of the first and second transmission lines.

10. The photoconductive detector of claim 9 , wherein the contact pad is formed of gold.

11. The photoconductive detector of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transmission lines are formed of gold.

12. A linear detector, comprising:
a substrate;
an m×n dimensional array of ohmic contacts fabricated on the substrate;
a polymer layer at least partially covering the array of ohmic contacts;
an ohmic top electrode at least partially covering the polymer layer; and
an encapsulant layer at least partially covering the ohmic top electrode.

13. The linear detector of claim 12 , wherein the substrate is an ROIC substrate.

14. The linear detector of claim 12 , further comprising:
pulse capture electronics;
cascaded pre-amplifier circuitry; and
an analog-to-digital converter.

15. The linear detector of claim 12 , wherein the array is biased with an RF or DC potential less than a dielectric breakdown threshold of the substrate.

16. The linear detector of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the polymer layer, the top electrode, and the encapsulant layer is optically transparent.

17. The linear detector of claim 12 , wherein the polymer layer is a spin-coated, donor-acceptor conjugated polymer layer.

18. The linear detector of claim 12 , wherein the polymer layer is deposited by oxidative chemical vapor deposition.

19. A method of fabricating a photoconductive detector, comprising steps of:
fabricating first and second transmission lines on a substrate to define a gap;
spin-coating a polymer layer over at least a portion of the substrate;
evaporating an encapsulant layer over at least a portion of the gap.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising a step of:
removing the polymer layer from edges of the first and second transmission lines.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising a step of:
fabricating a contact pad on the substrate such that the contact pad is operably coupled with one of the first and second transmission lines.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising a step of:
using a solvent-soaked applicator to remove the polymer layer from the contact pad.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising a step of:
using a shadow mask to prevent deposition of the polymer onto the contact pads.

Assignees

• The Univ Of Southern Mississippi
• Us Gov Air Force

Inventors

• Azoulay Jason D
• Vella Jarrett
• Vakil Mohammed I
• Huang Lifeng
• Eedugurala Naresh

Classifications

• H10K30/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] devices · CPC title

• H10K85/151

  Copolymers · CPC title

• H10K85/113

  Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene · CPC title

• H10K71/12

  using liquid deposition, e.g. spin coating · CPC title

• H10K30/88

  Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations · CPC title