The MPIR 100mK bolometer array for 2mm continuum observations (original) (raw)
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A novel bolometer for infrared and millimeter-wave astrophysics
Space Science Reviews, 1995
We are developing a novel bolometer which uses a fine mesh to absorb radiation. The tilling factor of the mesh is small, providing a small heat capacity and a low geometric cross-section to cosmic rays. The mesh is patterned from a free-standing silicon nitride membrane and is thermally isolated by long radial legs of silicon nitride. A thin metallic film evaporated on the mesh absorbs radiation by matching the surface impedance to that of free space. A neutron transmutation doped germanium thermistor attached to the center of the mesh detects the temperature increase from absorbed radiation. The tow thermal conductivity and heat capacity of silicon nitride provide improved performance in low background applications. We discuss the theoretical limits of the performance of these devices.
Bolometric Arrays for Millimeter Wavelengths
2009
During last years, semiconductor bolometers using thin films have been developed at INAOE, specifically boron-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon films. The characteristics shown by these devices made them attractive to be used in astronomical instrumentation, mainly in two-dimentional arrays. These detector arrays used at the Large Millimeter Telescope will make possible to obtain astronomical images in millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths. With this in mind, we are developing a method to produce, with enough reliability, bolometer arrays at INAOE. Until now, silicon nitride diaphragm arrays, useful as radiation absorbers, have succesfully been obtained. Sizes going from one to four millimeter by element in a consistent way; however we have not tested thermometers and metallic contact deposition yet. At the same time, we are working on two possible configurations for the readout electronics; one of them using commercial components while the other will be an integrated circuit...
Silicon nitride Micromesh Bolometer Array for Submillimeter Astrophysics
Applied Optics, 2001
We present the design and performance of a feedhorn-coupled bolometer array intended for a sensitive 350-m photometer camera. Silicon nitride micromesh absorbers minimize the suspended mass and heat capacity of the bolometers. The temperature transducers, neutron-transmutation-doped Ge thermistors, are attached to the absorber with In bump bonds. Vapor-deposited electrical leads address the thermistors and determine the thermal conductance of the bolometers. The bolometer array demonstrates a dark noise-equivalent power of 2.9 ϫ 10 Ϫ17 W͌͞Hz and a mean heat capacity of 1.3 pJ͞K at 390 mK. We measure the optical efficiency of the bolometer and feedhorn to be 0.45-0.65 by comparing the response to blackbody calibration sources. The bolometer array demonstrates theoretical noise performance arising from the photon and the phonon and Johnson noise, with photon noise dominant under the design background conditions. We measure the ratio of total noise to photon noise to be 1.21 under an absorbed optical power of 2.4 pW. Excess noise is negligible for audio frequencies as low as 30 mHz. We summarize the trade-offs between bare and feedhorn-coupled detectors and discuss the estimated performance limits of micromesh bolometers. The bolometer array demonstrates the sensitivity required for photon noise-limited performance from a spaceborne, passively cooled telescope.
Bolometer arrays for Mm/Submm astronomy
2002
Arrays consisting of large numbers of sensitive bolometers have become powerful tools for Mm/Submm Astronomy. On large ground-based telescopes for example they were essential in the discovery of a population of faint, highly redshifted point sources which provide important clues to the star-formation history of the universe. The Bolometer group at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie has been developing bolometer arrays since 1980. This paper is meant to give an overview of the state and future of this effort.
Two bolometer Arrays for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy
Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors For Astronomy Ii, 2004
We describe the development, construction, and testing of two 384 element arrays of ion-implanted semiconducting cryogenic bolometers designed for use in far-infrared and submillimeter cameras. These two dimensional arrays are assembled from a number of 32 element linear arrays of monolithic Pop-Up bolometer Detectors (PUD) developed at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. PUD technology allows the construction of large, high filling factor, arrays that make efficient use of available focal plane area in far-infrared and submillimeter astronomical instruments. Such arrays can be used to provide a significant increase in mapping speed over smaller arrays. A prototype array has been delivered and integrated into a ground-based camera, the Submillimeter High Angular Resolution Camera (SHARC II), a facility instrument at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). A second array has recently been delivered for integration into the High-resolution Airborne Widebandwidth Camera (HAWC), a far-infrared imaging camera for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). HAWC is scheduled for commissioning in 2005.
Development of Large Bolometer Arrays for Submillimeter and Millimeter Astronomy
2008 Global Symposium on Millimeter Waves, 2008
Access to new microelectronics facilities allows the development of large bolometer arrays for astronomy. The expected sensitivity increase is the key for the next generation of cameras at the focal plane of submillimeter and millimeter telescopes. We present here the research led in France in this domain.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2006
We have produced a laboratory demonstration of our new Backshort-Under-Grid (BUG) bolometer array architecture in a monolithic, 2-dimensional, 8 Â 8 format. The detector array is designed as a square grid of suspended, 1 mm thick silicon bolometers with superconducting molybdium/gold bilayer TESs. These detectors use an additional layer of gold bars deposited on top of the bilayer, oriented transverse to the direction of the current flow, for the suppression of excess noise. This detector design has earlier been shown to provide near fundamental noise limited device performance. We present results from performance measurements of witness devices. In particular we demonstrate that the inband excess noise level of the TES detectors is less than 20% above the thermodynamic phonon noise limit and not significantly higher out of band at frequencies that cannot be attenuated by the Nyquist filter. Our 8 Â 8 BUG arrays will be used in the near future for astronomical observations in several (sub-)millimeter instruments. r
SPIE Proceedings, 2006
To determine the lowest attainable phonon noise equivalent power (NEP) for membrane-isolation bolometers, we fabricated and measured the thermal conductance of suspended Si 3N4 beams with different geometries via a noise thermometry technique. We measured beam cross-sectional areas ranging from 0.35 x 0.5 jLm 2 to 135 x 1.0 jLm 2 and beam lengths ranging from 700 /Lm to 8300 /Lm. The measurements directly imply that membrane-isolation bolometers are capable of reaching a phonon noise equivalent power (NEP) of 4 x 10-20 W /Hz 1 / 2. This NEP is adequate for the Background-Limited Infrarcd-Submillimctcr Spectrograph (BLISS) proposed for the Japanese SPICA observatory, and adequate for NASA's SAFIR observatory, a 10-meter, 4 K telescope to be deployed at L2. Further, we measured the heat capacity of a suspended Si 3N4 membrane and show how this result implies that one can make membrane-isolation bolometers with a response time which is fast enough for BLISS.
Technology developments toward large format long wavelength bolometer arrays
Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing and Instrumentation XV, 2007
We are developing a kilopixel, filled bolometer array for infrared astronomy. The array consists of three individual components, to be merged into a single, working unit; 1) a transition edge sensor (TES) bolometer array, operating in the milliKelvin regime, 2) quarter-wave resonance backshorts, and 3) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) multiplexer readout. The detector array is a filled, square-grid of suspended, silicon membrane bolometers with superconducting thermistors. The spacing of the backshort beneath the detector grid can be set from ~30-300 microns by adjusting two process parameters during fabrication. We have produced prototype, monolithic arrays having 1 mm and 2 mm pitch detectors. The key technologies required for kilopixel arrays of detectors to be hybridized to SQUID multiplexer readout circuits have been demonstrated. Mechanical models of large-format detector grids have been indium bump-bonded to dummy multiplexer readouts to study electrical continuity. A monolithic array of 1 mm pitch detectors has been mated to a backshort grid optimized for a 350 micron resonant wavelength. Through-wafer microvias, for electroplated, low-resistance electrical connection of detector elements, have been prototyped using deep reactive ion etching. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop large-format (thousands of pixels) bolometer array architecture with background-limited sensitivity, suitable for a wide range of long wavelengths and a wide range of astronomical applications such as imaging, spectroscopy, and polarimetry and applicable for ground-based, suborbital, and space-based instruments.
Voltage-biased TES bolometers for the far-infrared to millimeter wavelength range
2003
We report on the development of arrays of Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers. We describe several architectures including planar-antenna-coupled, horn-coupled, and absorber-coupled devices. Antenna coupling can greatly simplify the fabrication of multi-frequency bolometer arrays compared to techniques in common use. Planar antennas are intrinsically polarization sensitive and are a promising technology for measurements of CMB polarization. We have designed a prototype device with a double-slot dipole antenna, integrated band-defining filters, and a membrane-suspended bolometer. A test chip has been constructed. We are developing 300-1000 element arrays of horn-coupled TES bolometers with spider-web absorbers for galaxy cluster searches using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. Finally, we describe a filled absorbercoupled array design that is built using a single silicon wafer. Such arrays are well suited for far-infrared and sub-millimeter observations such as those from SOFIA and future orbital missions.