DIFFUSION COOLING MECHANISM IN A HOT-ELECTRON NBC MICROBOLOMETER MIXER

Citation
Bs. Karasik et al., DIFFUSION COOLING MECHANISM IN A HOT-ELECTRON NBC MICROBOLOMETER MIXER, Applied physics letters, 68(16), 1996, pp. 2285-2287
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Physics, Applied
Journal title
ISSN journal
00036951
Volume
68
Issue
16
Year of publication
1996
Pages
2285 - 2287
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-6951(1996)68:16<2285:DCMIAH>2.0.ZU;2-L
Abstract
The crossover between the electron-phonon relaxation and the diffusion transport of hot electrons in an NbC microbolometer has been studied. At least an 80 ps relaxation time can be achieved in 0.2 mu m long br idges of the material with a diffusivity of 8 cm(2)/s. The high diffus ivity is accompanied by a large sheet resistance (approximate to 10 Om ega) that simplifies the match of the mixer device made of NbC to plan ar antenna at terahertz frequencies. The intrinsic noise mechanisms im ply a very low mixer noise temperature of the order of a few tens of K elvin, independent on the radiation frequency. (C) 1996 American Insti tute of Physics.