Pixel level vacuum packaging for single layer microbolometer detectors with on pixel lens

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach for fabrication of single layer microbolometer detectors featuring pixel level vacuum packaging together with a lens on the pixel. The proposed lens structure can be used to increase the fill factor of the detector so that the pixel size can be decreased without decreasing the minimum feature size in the detector which is a problem in single layer microbolometers. The designs of the lens and the fabrication process of pixel level vacuum packaged microbolometer detector together with this lens are given in the framework of this study. The optical and mechanical simulations of the structure are performed. The radius of curvature of the lens is optimized to be 25 μm and it is shown that the condensing efficiency is 100% for 3 μm lens-detector distance. The deflection in the lens structure is found approximately as 0.8 nm in 1 atm environment pressure, showing that the proposed structure is durable. The proposed structure increases the fill factor to twice of the original value without decreasing the minimum feature size in the fabrication processes, resulting in the same amount of improvement in the performance of the detector. This approach can also be used to increase the yield and decrease the fabrication cost of single layer and also standard microbolometers with small pixel sizes, as it integrates the vacuum packaging in the fabrication steps.