Bolometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964446-B2
Application number	US-201415035182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	Nov 6, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A bolometer is described. A bolometer includes a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-superconductor structure or a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-insulator-superconductor structure. The semiconductor comprises an electron gas in a layer of silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium alloy in which valley degeneracy is at least partially lifted. The insulator or a one or both of the insulators may comprise a layer of dielectric material. The insulator or a one or both of the insulators may comprise a layer of non-degenerately doped semiconductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bolometer comprising a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-superconductor structure or a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-insulator-superconductor structure, wherein the semiconductor comprises an electron gas in a layer of silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium alloy in which valley degeneracy is at least partially lifted.

2. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the layer of silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium is strained.

3. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium layer comprises a layer of n-type silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium.

4. A bolometer according to claim 3 , wherein the silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium layer is doped to a concentration of at least 1×10 19 cm −3 .

5. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium layer has a thickness of no more than 100 nm.

6. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium layer includes a delta-doped layer.

7. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium layer includes a quantum well.

8. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the insulator or a one of or both insulators comprises a layer of dielectric material.

9. A bolometer according to claim 8 , wherein the dielectric material comprises an oxide.

10. A bolometer according to claim 8 , wherein the dielectric material comprises silicon dioxide.

11. A bolometer according to claim 8 , wherein the dielectric material comprises an oxide of the superconductor.

12. A bolometer according to claim 8 , wherein the layer of dielectric material has a thickness less than 5 nm.

13. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the insulator or a one of or both insulators comprises a layer of non-degenerately-doped semiconductor.

14. A bolometer according to claim 1 , wherein the superconductor comprises aluminium.

15. Apparatus comprising:
a bolometer according to claim 1 ;
circuitry arranged to measure the bolometer comprising:
a voltage and/or current bias source; and
a sensor for measuring for current through the bolometer and/or for measuring a voltage across the bolometer.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a cryogenic system configured to cool the bolometer to a temperature no more than 4.2 K.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the circuitry is arranged for single photon measurement.

18. Apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the circuitry is arranged for integrating measurement.

19. Apparatus comprising:
an array of bolometers according to claim 1 supported on a common substrate.

20. An astronomical detection and imaging system comprising a bolometer according to claim 1 .

21. A biomedical detection and imaging system comprising a bolometer according to claim 1 .

22. A security screening system comprising a bolometer according to claim 1 .

23. A remote sensing system comprising a bolometer according to claim 1 .

24. A quantum information processing system comprising a bolometer according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ Warwick

Inventors

• Gunnarsson David
• Parker Evan
• Prest Martin
• Prunnila Mika
• Whall Terence

Classifications

• G01J5/046 Primary

  Materials; Selection of thermal materials · CPC title

• G01J5/20 Primary

  using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices · CPC title

• G01J5/024

  Special manufacturing steps or sacrificial layers or layer structures · CPC title

• G01J2005/106

  Arrays · CPC title

• G01J2005/208

  superconductive · CPC title