Three types of high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) bolometers have been
developed and studied: on a solid substrate, suspended on thermal filaments
, and a membrane version. It has been shown that the threshold sensitivity
limited by phonon noise can be achieved. A detectivity of 3.8 x 10(9) cm.Hz
(1/2)/W with a time constant of 0.45 ms in the spectral region 2-15 mu m ha
s been achieved with a Si-membrane bolometer. Detector devices have been cr
eated on the basis of HTSC bolometers, and it is shown that it is promising
to further develop HTSC bolometers and IR arrays based on them. (C) 1999 T
he Optical Society of America. [S1070-9762(99)01308-1].