LOW-TEMPERATURE CHARACTERIZATION OF COMPENSATED SILICON BOLOMETERS

Phosphorus doped silicon bolometers, obtained by ion implantation near the metal-insulator transition concentration, have been characterized in the temperature range 0.05 - 4.2K. The effect of boron compensatio n on the electrical conductivity in the Variable-Range-Hopping (VRH) w as investigated with the aim of defining the appropriate exponent in t he sigma(T) = sigma(T) = sigma(o) exp -(To/T)gamma equation (Mott's la w). The exponent can be fixed at a value of 0.5 with a suitable choice of the compensation ratio, which is relevant for practical bolometers being used as particle detectors.