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Fabrication of thermal microphotonic sensors and sensor arrays

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1015989

A thermal microphotonic sensor is fabricated on a silicon substrate by etching an opening and a trench into the substrate, and then filling in the opening and trench with silicon oxide which can be deposited or formed by thermally oxidizing a portion of the silicon substrate surrounding the opening and trench. The silicon oxide forms a support post for an optical resonator which is subsequently formed from a layer of silicon nitride, and also forms a base for an optical waveguide formed from the silicon nitride layer. Part of the silicon substrate can be selectively etched away to elevate the waveguide and resonator. The thermal microphotonic sensor, which is useful to detect infrared radiation via a change in the evanescent coupling of light between the waveguide and resonator, can be formed as a single device or as an array.

Research Organization:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
Patent Number(s):
7,820,970
Application Number:
12/491,596
OSTI ID:
1015989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (7)

Ultra-high-Q toroid microcavity on a chip journal February 2003
Performance of 320 x 240 uncooled IRFPA with SOI diode detectors conference December 2000
Evaluation of thermal parameters of bolometer devices journal March 2002
Uncooled IR imaging array based on quartz microresonators journal June 1996
Micromachined bolometer with single-crystal silicon diode as temperature sensor journal May 2005
Fabrication techniques for low-loss silicon nitride waveguides conference January 2005
High-Q microring resonator for biochemical sensors conference March 2005

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