TCAD Simulation of the Etching of the Sacrificial Layer in the Sensitive Element of the IR Microbolometer Array Based on the SOI Structure

Evsikov, I.D.; Demin, G.D.; Djuzhev, N.A.; Fetisov, E.A.; Khafizov, R.Z.

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TCAD Simulation of the Etching of the Sacrificial Layer in the Sensitive Element of the IR Microbolometer Array Based on the SOI Structure

Authors

Date of publication

2022

DOI

10.31114/2078-7707-2022-4-228-233

Abstract

Currently, the development of uncooled IR microbolometer arrays based on SOI structures attracts much attention of researchers, due to their high speed and temperature sensitivity compared to other bolometric and thermocouple sensor elements operating in the IR wavelength spectrum. An important parameter of such SOI-based IR microbolometers is the useful area of the dielectric (SiO2) membrane that absorbs IR radiation and its high thermal insulation, which requires technological optimization of the sacrificial layer (Si) etching modes through a matrix of holes (windows) in the SiO2 membrane. In this work, TCAD simulation of the gas-phase etching of the sacrificial Si layer was carried out, taking into account both its thickness and the size of the windows. It was shown that a decrease in the window size from 120 to 80 μm2 leads to a twofold decrease in the etching time (from 480 to 240 seconds) and provides an effective increase in the useful surface of the microbolometer sensing element, which is heated by IR radiation. The results obtained can be useful in the process of working out technological operations for the fabrication of IR microbolometer arrays based on SOI substrates.

Keywords

MEMS technology, uncooled IR microbolometer, SOI structure, chemical etching, TCAD simulation, thermocouples, thermal sensor, sacrificial layer, dielectric membrane.

Library reference

Evsikov I.D., Demin G.D., Djuzhev N.A., Fetisov E.A., Khafizov R.Z. TCAD Simulation of the Etching of the Sacrificial Layer in the Sensitive Element of the IR Microbolometer Array Based on the SOI Structure // Problems of Perspective Micro- and Nanoelectronic Systems Development - 2022. Issue 4. P. 228-233. doi:10.31114/2078-7707-2022-4-228-233

URL of paper

http://www.mes-conference.ru/data/year2022/pdf/D069.pdf