Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Ulis

Laurent Carle

Jean-Jacques Yon

Geoffroy Dumont

Pierre Imperinetti

Stephane Pocas

Jean-Louis Ouvrier-Buffet

Michel Vilain

Claire Vialle

A process for fabricating a detecting device includes producing a getter pad based on amorphous carbon resting on a mineral sacrificial layer that covers a thermal detector and producing a thin encapsulating layer that rests on the mineral sacrificial layer and that covers an upper face and sidewalls of the getter pad. The mineral sacrificial layer is removed via a first chemical etch, and a protective segment of the getter pad is removed via a second chemical etch.

Process for fabricating a detecting device the getter of which is better protected

A device for detecting electromagnetic radiation is provided, including a substrate; a matrix of thermal detectors disposed on the substrate; and a structure encapsulating the matrix of thermal detectors, including an encapsulating layer extending continuously around and above the matrix of thermal detectors so as to define with the substrate a cavity in which the matrix of thermal detectors is disposed, the encapsulating layer including at least one internal bearing section, which bears directly against the substrate between two adjacent thermal detectors of said matrix, said at least one internal bearing section including a sidewall and a peripheral wall, the sidewall being separate from the peripheral wall in a plane parallel to a plane of the substrate, and the peripheral wall encircling the matrix of thermal detectors.

Device for detecting radiation including an encapsulating structure having an improved mechanical strength

A device for detecting electromagnetic radiation, including a substrate; at least one thermal detector, placed on the substrate, including an absorbing membrane suspended above the substrate; and an encapsulating structure encapsulating the thermal detector, including an encapsulating layer extending around and above the thermal detector so as to define with the substrate a cavity in which the thermal detector is located; wherein the encapsulating layer includes at least one through-orifice that is what is referred to as an exhaust vent, each exhaust vent being placed so that at least one thermal detector has a single exhaust vent located facing the corresponding absorbing membrane, preferably plumb with the center of said absorbing membrane.

Device for detecting electromagnetic radiation possessing a hermetic encapsulating structure comprising an exhaust vent

A device for detecting electromagnetic radiation is provided, including a substrate; at least one thermal detector placed on the substrate; and an encapsulating structure encapsulating the detector, including a thin encapsulating layer of a material that is transparent to said radiation, extending around and above the detector so as to define with the substrate a cavity in which the detector is located; wherein the thin encapsulating layer comprises a peripheral wall that encircles the detector, and that has a cross section, in a plane parallel to the plane of the substrate, of square or rectangular shape, corners of which are rounded.

The invention relates to a passive microbolometer (), comprising a reflective screen () and a suspended membrane with the function of radiation absorber, thermometer and electrical connection. The membrane is supported by at least two anchor elements () fixed to a support substrate (). The reflective screen () may be embodied by at least one layer () of metallic material with a thickness of the order of 500 &#x212b; to 2000 &#x212b;. The screen () is arranged beneath the membrane in electrical contact with the membrane absorber element () such as to reduce the area resistance of the unit made up of the screen () and the absorbing element () and to avoid the absorption of radiation by the latter.

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Grenoble, France

Laurent Carle