Fabrication and characterization of niobium diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometers on silicon nitride membranes

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 15; no. 2; pp. 928 - 931
• Main Authors: Datesman, A.M., Schultz, J.C., Lichtenberger, A.W., Golish, D., Walker, C.K., Kooi, J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-06-2005; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Arrays; Biomembranes; Bolometers; Circuit properties; Circuits; Devices; Diffusion; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Etching; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Focused-ion beam; Focusing; Gold; HEB; membrane; Membranes; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); mixer; Niobium; Probes; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Signal convertors; Silicon; Silicon nitride; Silicon substrates; membrane; Voltage current curve; HEB; Micromachining; Mixer; Receiver; Review; Micromachine; Chip; Focused ion beam technology; Microelectronic fabrication; Bolometer; Hot electron; Focused-ion beam
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2005.850124

We have successfully fabricated niobium diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers on membranes of silicon nitride less than one micron thick. This advance has allowed us to construct a 1 /spl times/ 5 HEB receiver array intended for operation at 1.45 THz. This article provides an overview of the integration of the HEB array chip with silicon micromachined backshorts and feedhorns, discusses materials issues surrounding the device fabrication, reports resistance and I-V measurements, and compares HEBs fabricated on silicon nitride to similar devices on quartz substrates.