United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Rockwell International Corporation

Teledyne Licensing, LLC

James R Waldrop

Ronald W Grant

Marshall J Cohen

Roger E DeWames

A microbolometer IR FPA is provided with in-situ vacuum sensing capability by realizing that the IR sensor microbolometer pixel element itself may be used as a vacuum sensor. The application of an electrical signal to the resistive element heats the bolometer material thereby producing a variable resistance related to vacuum level. The degree of variability for a given material depends on the efficiency of heat transfer from the material to the surrounding environment. In a good vacuum, heat transfer is poor, and thus heat will be retained in the material to produce a relatively large temperature increase and the resistance variability will be large. In a poor vacuum, heat is readily transferred to the environment and the temperature rise will be relatively small and thus resistance variability will be small. Consequently, the variable resistance magnitude can be readout to determine the vacuum level.

Microbolometer IR focal plane array (FPA) with in-situ mirco vacuum sensor and method of fabrication

A metal to semiconductor contact is provided wherein the Schottky barrier ight is about 1 eV and independent of the contact metal. The metal, such as Au, Cr, or Ti, is deposited on a heavily doped p-type layer of silicon which is about 15 to 30 angstroms thick. The interface layer is deposited on gallium arsenide.

Schotiky barrier height for metal contacts to III-V semiconductor

The invention is a layered nonalloyed ohmic contact structure for use on n type gallium arsenide including a layer of germanium or silicon of the order of 10 .ANG. thick evaporated onto the gallium arsenide; a diffusion barrier layer of material 100-200 .ANG. thick over the germanium or silicon selected from non-metallic conducting compounds, including metal compounds of

Nonalloyed ohmic contacts for n type gallium arsenide

A photovoltaic cell structure is fabricated from an active medium including an undoped, intrinsically p-type organic semiconductor comprising polyacetylene. When a film of such material is in rectifying contact with a magnesium electrode, a Schottky-barrier junction is obtained within the body of the cell structure. Also, a gold overlayer passivates the magnesium layer on the undoped polyacetylene film.

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Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

James R Waldrop