Terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, preparation method thereof, and terahertz detection system

By designing a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer and using the resonant frequency change to monitor terahertz signals, the system cost and complexity issues of low-temperature superconducting detectors in high-sensitivity and large-array detection were solved, and frequency division multiplexing and high-pixel detection were achieved.

CN116878666BActive Publication Date: 2025-09-05ZHEJIANG LAB

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202310759172.6
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-06-26
Publication Date
2025-09-05
Estimated Expiration
2043-06-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing low-temperature superconducting detectors have problems in high-sensitivity temperature measurement and large-array detection, such as high system cost, high complexity, and difficulty in achieving frequency division multiplexing and pixel array detection.

Method used

A terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer is designed, which includes a superconducting thin film layer, a terahertz antenna, a cutoff layer and a Si substrate. An oscillation circuit is formed by interdigital capacitors and an inductor coil. The resonant frequency change is used to monitor the terahertz signal. An island module is used to isolate the inductor coil and the terahertz antenna to achieve frequency division multiplexing and high-pixel detection.

Benefits of technology

It achieves accurate monitoring of terahertz signals, reduces the requirements for temperature uniformity of superconducting materials, simplifies the preparation process, reduces system costs, and supports high-pixel large-array detection.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention discloses a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, comprising a superconducting thin film layer, a terahertz antenna, a cutoff layer, and a Si substrate. The superconducting thin film layer and the terahertz antenna are respectively deposited on the cutoff layer, which is deposited on the Si substrate. The superconducting thin film layer includes a superconducting feeder, an interdigital capacitor, and an inductor coil. The interdigital capacitor and the inductor coil are connected in parallel to form an oscillating circuit. The terahertz antenna is adjacent to the inductor coil and is used to convert received terahertz signals into heat, causing the inductor coil to produce an inductance change. This inductance change causes the resonant frequency within the interdigital capacitor to change. The superconducting feeder receives the changed resonant frequency, and the changed resonant frequency can be used to obtain the light intensity of the terahertz signal, thereby completing terahertz signal detection. The terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer can accurately detect terahertz signals and is less affected by temperature. The present invention also provides a method for preparing the terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer and a terahertz detection system.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of sensor technology, and specifically relates to a terahertz detection system, a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer and a preparation method thereof Background Art

[0002] Low-temperature superconducting detectors are made of specialized superconducting materials that can maintain a superconducting state even at extremely low temperatures. These detectors are typically fabricated from superconducting materials (such as NbN and NbTiN), and their structure typically includes the superconducting material, electrodes, and a substrate. Specialized processes, such as sputtering and PECVD, are required to ensure the detector's superconducting properties and stability. Their exceptional sensitivity has led to widespread applications in astronomical and nuclear physics detection.

[0003] Internationally, the most widely used low-temperature superconducting detector is the superconducting transition edge sensor (TES). This sensor exploits the fact that when the temperature of some materials drops below a certain value (Tc), their resistivity suddenly drops to zero. This state is called superconducting, and the material is called a superconductor. Tc is called the superconductor's transition temperature.

[0004] TES has extremely high sensitivity to temperature measurement and is often used to detect the kinetic energy of particles or the energy of single photons. Among them, the TES microcalorimeter uses the steep resistance-temperature relationship of the superconducting TES in the superconducting transition module (hereinafter referred to as the steep resistance-temperature relationship as steepness) to realize single-photon detection. The superconducting TES microcalorimeter has the characteristics of a wide range of applicable wavelengths, easy development of monolithic integrated microcalorimeter arrays, and the use of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) amplifiers to realize multiplexing readout of the detector array. Therefore, the superconducting TES microcalorimeter has been widely used in high-sensitivity single-photon detection, covering the X-ray and gamma-ray bands. Superconducting transition edge thermal radiometers are still popular because of their noise equivalent power and low (generally around 1×10 -14 W / √Hz to 1×10 -20 W / √Hz), is widely used.

[0005] Chinese patent publication number CN113659067A discloses a superconducting transition edge sensor, a fabrication method, and a micro-calorimeter. The superconducting transition edge sensor fabrication method includes: providing a substrate; forming a superconducting metal film on the upper surface of the substrate; forming a normal metal film on the upper surface of the superconducting metal film, wherein the thickness ratio of the superconducting metal film to the normal metal film is 1-10; and forming the superconducting metal film and the normal metal film in a vacuum chamber. By forming the superconducting metal film and the normal metal film on the substrate and maintaining the thickness ratio of the superconducting metal film to the normal metal film within the range of 1-10, the uniformity of the transition temperature Tc and the controllability of the transition range of the TES are improved by controlling the thickness ratio of the superconducting metal film to the normal metal film.

[0006] However, the superconducting transition edge sensor disclosed in the above patent still has high requirements for the uniformity of the superconducting transition temperature Tc, and requires the use of high-complexity amplifiers such as SQUID. The operating temperature is 100mK, which has high requirements for refrigeration, and it is difficult to achieve frequency division multiplexing. The system cost is high, and it is difficult to achieve high-pixel large-array detection. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A specific embodiment of the present invention provides a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, which can accurately detect terahertz signals and is less affected by temperature; the present invention also provides a terahertz detection system capable of frequency division multiplexing, which can achieve high-pixel large-array detection.

[0008] A specific embodiment of the present invention provides a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, comprising: a superconducting thin film layer, a terahertz antenna, a cutoff layer, and a Si substrate, wherein the superconducting thin film layer and the terahertz antenna are respectively deposited on the cutoff layer, and the cutoff layer is deposited on the Si substrate;

[0009] The superconducting thin film layer includes a superconducting feed line, an interdigital capacitor and an inductor coil. The interdigital capacitor and the inductor coil are connected in parallel to form an oscillation circuit. The terahertz antenna is adjacent to the inductor coil and is used to convert the received terahertz signal into heat to cause the inductance of the inductor coil to change. The resonant frequency in the interdigital capacitor changes through the inductance change. The superconducting feed line is coupled to the interdigital capacitor to receive the changed resonant frequency. The changed resonant frequency can obtain the light intensity of the terahertz signal, thereby completing the detection of the terahertz signal.

[0010] Furthermore, the cutoff layer includes a surrounding module, a thermal connection bridge and an island module, the surrounding module surrounds the island module, and the surrounding module and the island module are connected via the thermal connection bridge;

[0011] The superconducting feeder and interdigital capacitor are located on the top of the surround module, the inductor coil and terahertz antenna are located on the top of the island module, and the Si substrate is located at the bottom of the surround module. This ensures that the inductor coil and terahertz antenna at the top of the island module are isolated from the Si substrate at the bottom of the surround module and the superconducting feeder and interdigital capacitor at the top.

[0012] Furthermore, the cut-off layer includes a SiO2 layer and a SiN x layer, the SiO2 layer is deposited on the Si substrate, the SiN x The layer is located on the SiO2 layer, where x is 1-4 / 3.

[0013] Furthermore, the thickness of the SiO2 layer is 100-200 nm, and the SiN x The thickness of the layer is 300-2000 nm.

[0014] Furthermore, the material of the superconducting thin film layer is niobium nitride, titanium niobium nitride or titanium nitride.

[0015] Furthermore, the material of the terahertz antenna is titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-manganese alloy or bismuth.

[0016] A specific embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for preparing the terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, comprising:

[0017] (1) SiO2 and SiN are deposited on both sides of the double-polished silicon substrate, namely the A side and the B side. x Double layer, SiO2 and SiN on the A side x A superconducting metal layer is grown on the double layer by magnetron sputtering;

[0018] (2) exposing a superconducting thin film layer circuit on the surface of the superconducting metal layer through a photoresist using a photolithography machine, and etching the superconducting metal layer by ICP to obtain a superconducting thin film layer;

[0019] (3) Remove the remaining photoresist in step (2), and use the photolithography machine again to pass the photoresist on SiO2 and SiN x The terahertz antenna circuit is exposed on the surface of the double layer and superconducting thin film layer, and the measurement and control sputtering technology is used on the surface of the photoresist and the exposed SiO2 and SiN x The terahertz antenna metal is deposited on the double-layer surface, and the remaining photoresist is removed by lift-off to obtain the terahertz antenna;

[0020] (4) Use the photolithography machine again to pass the photoresist on the SiO2 and SiN surface A x Expose the cutoff layer pattern on the double-layer surface, obtain the cutoff layer by etching, and remove the residual photoresist;

[0021] (5) obtaining a carrier wafer, and bonding the protective wax spun on the cutoff layer, the terahertz antenna, and the superconducting thin film layer to the protective wax spun on the carrier wafer;

[0022] (6) Remove SiO2 and SiN on the B surface of the double-polished silicon substrate x Double layer, to expose the double-polished silicon substrate, use a photolithography machine to expose the isolated module on the B side of the double-polished silicon substrate through photoresist, and use deep silicon reactive ion etching technology to etch away the exposed double-polished silicon substrate to obtain the Si substrate, and remove the remaining photoresist;

[0023] (7) The protective wax is removed using organic solvents to obtain a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiation meter.

[0024] Furthermore, SiO2 and SiN on the A surface x A superconducting metal layer is grown on the double layer by magnetron sputtering. The superconducting metal is NbN. The process parameters of the magnetron sputtering are: gas pressure of 1-10 mTorr, power of 50-500 W, and a ratio of N2 to Ar gas of 5%-50%.

[0025] Furthermore, the measurement and control sputtering technology is used to deposit SiO2 and SiN on the surface of the photoresist. x A terahertz antenna metal is deposited on a double-layer surface. The terahertz antenna metal is a TiW alloy. The process parameters of the measurement and control sputtering technology are: gas pressure of 1-10 mTorr, power of 50-500W.

[0026] A specific embodiment of the present invention also provides a terahertz detection system, comprising a plurality of the aforementioned terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers, which are arranged in an array and divided into a plurality of groups. The plurality of terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers in each group share a superconducting feeder for coupling. By adjusting the size of the interdigital capacitor of each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer has a different initial resonant frequency, thereby being able to distinguish the area where each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer is located, and further, being able to simultaneously monitor the intensity changes of the terahertz signal in the area where each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer is located.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] (1) The terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer provided by the present invention utilizes a terahertz antenna made of ordinary metal to receive terahertz signals, thereby increasing the bandwidth of the received signal. The heat generated by the terahertz antenna causes the inductance of the inductor coil to change, and the resonant frequency of the interdigital capacitor is changed by the inductance change. The monitoring system reads the changes in the amplitude and phase of the transmission function based on the change in the resonant frequency, thereby being able to monitor the light intensity of the terahertz signal. Since the present invention utilizes the resonant frequency to monitor the intensity of the terahertz signal, as long as the superconducting material can produce superconducting properties, the temperature uniformity of the superconducting material is relatively low.

[0029] (2) The present invention utilizes the island module and the surround module of the cutoff layer to isolate the inductor coil and the terahertz antenna from the Si substrate, the superconducting feed line and the interdigital capacitor, thereby avoiding the influence of heat from other components on the inductor coil and the terahertz antenna, thereby being able to more accurately reflect the intensity of the terahertz signal.

[0030] (3) Since the terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer provided by the present invention uses the change of the resonant frequency to monitor the intensity of the terahertz signal, as long as the size of the interdigital capacitor is changed to make the resonant frequency of the terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer different, a large number of terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers can be coupled through a superconducting feeder, and the intensity change and change time of the terahertz signal of the corresponding module can be simultaneously monitored based on the terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers with different resonant frequencies, thereby realizing frequency division multiplexing and high-pixel large array detection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A top view of a terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 AA cross-sectional view of a terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method for preparing a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional diagram of the process for preparing a terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic top view of the process flow of a method for preparing a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Among them, there are superconducting film layer 1, superconducting feed line 11, interdigital capacitor 12, inductor coil 13, ground wire 14, terahertz antenna 2, cutoff layer 3, surrounding module 31, thermal connection bridge 32, island module 33, and Si substrate 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the present invention.

[0038] The specific embodiment of the present invention utilizes the change of the resonant frequency to monitor the light intensity of the terahertz signal, and uses the island module to avoid the influence of other components on the inductor coil and the terahertz antenna, thereby being able to accurately and efficiently monitor the intensity of the terahertz signal.

[0039] The terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer provided by the specific embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1 He Ru Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a superconducting thin film layer 1, a terahertz antenna 2, a cutoff layer 3 and a Si substrate 4, wherein the superconducting thin film layer 1 and the terahertz antenna 2 are respectively deposited on the cutoff layer 3, and the cutoff layer 3 is deposited on the Si substrate 4;

[0040] The superconducting film layer 1 provided in the specific embodiment of the present invention includes a superconducting feed line 11, an interdigital capacitor 12 and an inductor 13. The interdigital capacitor 12 and the inductor 13 are connected in parallel to form an LC oscillation circuit, that is, an ultrasonic dynamic inductor resonator. The terahertz antenna 2 is adjacent to the inductor 13 and is used to convert the received terahertz signal into heat so that the inductor 13 produces an inductance change, which overcomes the problem in the prior art that the superconducting energy gap of the inductor of the superconducting material is high and the bandwidth of the received terahertz signal is narrow. The specific embodiment of the present invention uses ordinary metal to make the inductor 13 into a superconducting film layer 1, which includes a superconducting feed line 11, an interdigital capacitor 12 and an inductor 13. The prepared terahertz antenna 2 can receive terahertz signals with a wider bandwidth. The resonant frequency in the interdigital capacitor 12 is changed by changing the inductance. The superconducting feed line 11 is coupled to the interdigital capacitor 12 to receive the changed resonant frequency. The interdigital capacitor 12 is also coupled to the ground wire 14. The change in the resonant frequency is proportional to the intensity of the terahertz signal received by the detector. After the detector is calibrated with standard light intensity, a relationship curve between light intensity and frequency change can be obtained, and then the intensity of the terahertz signal can be calculated to complete the detection of the terahertz signal.

[0041] In one embodiment, return Figure 1The cutoff layer 3 provided in this embodiment includes a surrounding module 31 , a thermal connection bridge 32 and an island module 33 . The surrounding module 31 surrounds the island module 33 , and the surrounding module 31 and the island module 33 are connected via the thermal connection bridge 32 .

[0042] return Figure 1 and Figure 2 The superconducting feed line 11 and the interdigital capacitor 12 provided in this embodiment are located on the surround module 31, the inductor coil 13 and the terahertz antenna 2 are located on the island module 33, and the Si substrate 4 is located at the bottom of the surround module 31, thereby isolating the inductor coil 13 and the terahertz antenna 2 from the Si substrate 4, the superconducting feed line 11 and the interdigital capacitor 12, and preventing the heat generated by the Si substrate 4, the superconducting feed line 11 and the interdigital capacitor 12 from affecting the inductance generated by the inductor coil 13, thereby accurately allowing the interdigital capacitor 12 to produce a changing resonant frequency, and then accurately reading the changes in the amplitude and phase of the transfer function through an external monitoring system to detect the strength and timing of the incident terahertz signal.

[0043] In one embodiment, the stop layer includes a SiO2 layer and a SiN x layer, the SiO2 layer is deposited on the Si substrate, the SiN x The layer is located on the SiO2 layer, wherein x is 1-4 / 3. The thickness of the SiO2 layer is 100-200nm. x The thickness of the layer is 300-2000 nm.

[0044] In one specific embodiment, the superconducting thin film layer is made of niobium nitride, titanium niobium nitride, or titanium nitride. These superconducting materials have high dynamic inductance and can be used to create a resonant cavity with a high quality factor. The terahertz antenna is made of titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-manganese alloy, or bismuth. These metal materials have low heat capacity and are highly efficient at terahertz signal absorption.

[0045] The terahertz kinetic inductance bolometers (KIBs) provided by the present invention are a new type of superconducting bolometer. Compared to traditional superconducting transition edge bolometers (TESbolometers), they offer simplified processing, high stability, inherent frequency division multiplexing, and a simple data readout system, further reducing system costs. They are suitable for applications in space astronomical exploration and terahertz security inspection.

[0046] The core of the superconducting dynamic inductive microwave resonator (DIMRT) is a dynamic inductive microwave resonator (DIMMR). When the terahertz antenna in the DIMRT converts the terahertz signal energy into phonon heat on a thermally insulating island, the temperature of the island changes, causing a change in the surface impedance of the superconducting material. By reading the amplitude and phase changes of the transfer function, the strength and timing of the incident terahertz signal can be detected. The design allows the frequency of each DIMMR unit to be varied, enabling frequency division multiplexing (FDM). Thousands of detector units can be read using a single microwave feed line.

[0047] The terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention uses NbN with a Tc of approximately 15K and can operate at a temperature of 4K. Compared with the traditional superconducting transition edge detector TES operating at 100mK, the space cooling requirement is greatly reduced, thereby reducing costs.

[0048] A specific embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for preparing a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, comprising:

[0049] (1) Figure 3 As shown in (a), a double layer of SiOx and SiNx is grown on both sides of a double-polished silicon substrate, namely, surfaces A and B, using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). (The actual Si side is a SiO2 layer.) Typically, the SiOx thickness is 100-200nm (as a cutoff layer), and the SiNx thickness is 300-2000nm (as a thin film layer). This thickness varies depending on the design of the thermal radiation meter. A NbN superconducting metal layer is grown on surface A of the double-polished silicon substrate using magnetron sputtering. The magnetron sputtering process parameters are a pressure of 5mTorr, a power of 300W, and an N2 / Ar ratio of 1:3.

[0050] (2) Figure 3 As shown in (b) and (c), a photolithography machine (such as ASML PAS5500 / 350KrF stepper) is used to expose a superconducting thin film layer circuit on the surface of the NbN superconducting metal layer using photoresist PR. The superconducting metal layer is etched by ICP to obtain a superconducting thin film layer 1. The top view of the superconducting thin film layer 1 is shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown in (a), it includes a superconducting feed line 11, an interdigital capacitor 12, an inductor coil 13 and a grounding line 14.

[0051] (3) Figure 3 As shown in (d), the photoresist PR remaining in step (2) is removed using organic solvents such as toluene, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, etc. and a plasma stripper. Figure 3 As shown in (e), a lithography machine (such as ASML PAS5500 / 350KrF stepper lithography machine) is used to form a lithography pattern on SiO2 and SiN. x The terahertz antenna circuit is exposed on the surface of the double layer and superconducting film layer, such as Figure 3 As shown in (f), the measurement and control sputtering technology is used to deposit SiO2 and SiN on the surface of the photoresist and the exposed x Double-layer surface-deposited TiW terahertz antennas, such as Figure 3 As shown in (g), the TiW terahertz antenna 2 is obtained by using organic solvents such as toluene, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and ethanol to peel off the photoresist in an ultrasonic machine in an ift-off manner. Figure 4 As shown in (b).

[0052] (4) Figure 3 As shown in (h), a photolithography machine (such as ASML PAS5500 / 350KrF stepper) is used to expose the island module and thermal connection bridge in the thermal radiation meter through the photoresist PR, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in (i) and (j), the SiOx and SiNx double layers are etched by a plasma etcher (RIE) to etch away the set area between the island module and the surrounding module to obtain the cutoff layer 3, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown in (c), the residual photoresist is removed using organic solvents such as toluene, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and a plasma stripper.

[0053] (5) Figure 3 As shown in (k), a sapphire carrier wafer Sapphire is obtained, and protective wax is spin-coated on the cut-off layer, the terahertz antenna and the superconducting thin film layer. Protective wax is spin-coated on the sapphire carrier wafer, and bonding is performed through the protective wax.

[0054] (6) Figure 3 As shown in (l) and (m), RIE is used to remove SiO2 and SiN on the B surface of the double-polished silicon substrate. x Double layer to expose the double polished silicon substrate, such as Figure 3 As shown in (n), a photolithography machine is used to expose the island module on the B side of the double-polished silicon substrate through photoresist, such as Figure 3 As shown in (o) and (p), the exposed double-polished silicon substrate is etched away by deep silicon reactive ion etching technology to obtain a Si substrate, and the remaining photoresist is removed;

[0055] (7) Figure 3 As shown in (q), the protective wax is removed by an organic solvent and the sapphire carrier wafer is peeled off to obtain a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiation meter.

[0056] The specific embodiment of the present invention also provides a terahertz detection system, such as Figure 5As shown, it includes multiple terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers, and the multiple terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers are arranged in an array, and the multiple terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers are divided into multiple groups. The multiple terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers in each group share a superconducting feeder 11 for coupling, that is, the interdigital capacitors 12 of the multiple terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers in each group can be coupled through a superconducting feeder 11, and the multiple groups of terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers are wrapped by a grounding wire 14. A terahertz detection system provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention has a relatively simple structure and saves feeder materials. By adjusting the size of the interdigital capacitor of each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer has a different initial resonant frequency. When a terahertz signal is irradiated to the terahertz detection system, since different terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers have different initial resonant frequencies, the area where each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer is located can be distinguished, and the intensity change and time of the terahertz signal in the area where each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer is located can be monitored simultaneously.

[0057] The preparation method of the terahertz detection system of the present invention is not limited by the wafer area. The resonant frequency of the resonant cavity can be changed by changing the capacitance of the resonant cavity. Each feed line can frequency-division multiplex 2000 pixels at a 2MHz interval within a frequency range of 4-8GHz. Through arraying, it can be further developed into a high-pixel large-array terahertz detection system, which can solve the gap in the focal plane detector of the domestic passive terahertz security inspection system. This invention uses NbN film to increase the operating temperature, thereby reducing the temperature requirement of the refrigerator and thus reducing the system integration cost. Figure 5 8x8mm shown 2 The 105-pixel microwave dynamic inductive thermal radiometer inside:

[0058] Compared with the superconducting transition edge detector (TES), each pixel requires a voltage control line and a set of superconducting quantum interference device (SUQID) test lines. KIB can suspend terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers with different resonant frequencies on a single feed line, frequency-division multiplexing 2,000 pixel elements at a 2MHz interval within the 4-8GHz frequency range, and can use 5 sets of coaxial cables to more quickly form a detector with tens of thousands of pixels.

Claims

1. A terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, characterized in that: include: A superconducting thin film layer, a terahertz antenna, a cutoff layer and a Si substrate, wherein the superconducting thin film layer and the terahertz antenna are respectively deposited on the cutoff layer, and the cutoff layer is deposited on the Si substrate; The superconducting thin film layer includes a superconducting feed line, an interdigital capacitor, and an inductor coil. The interdigital capacitor and the inductor coil are connected in parallel to form an oscillation circuit. The terahertz antenna is adjacent to the inductor coil and is used to convert the received terahertz signal into heat to cause the inductor coil to produce an inductance change. The inductance change causes the resonant frequency in the interdigital capacitor to change. The superconducting feed line is coupled to the interdigital capacitor to receive the changed resonant frequency. The changed resonant frequency can be used to obtain the light intensity of the terahertz signal, thereby completing the detection of the terahertz signal. The cutoff layer includes a surrounding module, a thermal connection bridge and an island module, wherein the surrounding module surrounds the island module, and the surrounding module and the island module are connected via the thermal connection bridge; The superconducting feeder and interdigital capacitor are located on the top of the surround module, the inductor coil and terahertz antenna are located on the top of the island module, and the Si substrate is located at the bottom of the surround module. This ensures that the inductor coil and terahertz antenna at the top of the island module are isolated from the Si substrate at the bottom of the surround module and the superconducting feeder and interdigital capacitor at the top.

2. The terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cutoff layer includes a SiO2 layer and a SiN layer, wherein the SiO2 layer is deposited on a Si substrate, and the SiN layer is located on the SiO2 layer.

3. The terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the SiO2 layer is 100-200 nm, and the thickness of the SiN layer is 300-2000 nm.

4. The terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the superconducting thin film layer is niobium nitride, titanium niobium nitride or titanium nitride.

5. The terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the terahertz antenna is titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-manganese alloy or bismuth.

6. A method for preparing a terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: include: (1) Depositing SiO2 and SiN double layers on both sides of a double-polished silicon substrate, i.e., side A and side B, respectively, and growing a superconducting metal layer on the SiO2 and SiN double layers on side A by magnetron sputtering; (2) On the surface of the superconducting metal layer, a superconducting thin film layer circuit is exposed through a photoresist using a photolithography machine, and the superconducting metal layer is etched by ICP to obtain a superconducting thin film layer; (3) removing the remaining photoresist in step (2), and again using a photolithography machine to expose the terahertz antenna circuit on the surface of the SiO2 and SiN double layer and the superconducting thin film layer through the photoresist, and using a measurement and control sputtering technology to deposit the terahertz antenna metal on the surface of the photoresist and the exposed surface of the SiO2 and SiN double layer, and using a stripping method to remove the remaining photoresist to obtain the terahertz antenna; (4) Use the photolithography machine again to expose the cutoff layer pattern on the SiO2 and SiN double-layer surface of the A side through the photoresist, obtain the cutoff layer by etching, and remove the residual photoresist; (5) obtaining a carrier wafer, and bonding the protective wax spin-coated on the cutoff layer, the terahertz antenna, and the superconducting thin film layer to the protective wax spin-coated on the carrier wafer; (6) Remove the SiO2 and SiN double layers on the B side of the double-polished silicon substrate to expose the double-polished silicon substrate, use a photolithography machine to expose the isolated module on the B side of the double-polished silicon substrate through photoresist, etch away the exposed double-polished silicon substrate using deep silicon reactive ion etching technology to obtain the Si substrate, and remove the remaining photoresist; (7) The protective wax is removed using organic solvents to obtain a terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiation meter.

7. The method for preparing a terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to claim 6, characterized in that: A superconducting metal layer is grown on the SiO2 and SiN double layer on the A side by magnetron sputtering. The superconducting metal is NbN. The process parameters of the magnetron sputtering are: gas pressure of 1-10mTorr, power of 50-500W, and the ratio of N2 to Ar gas of 5%-50%.

8. The method for preparing a terahertz dynamic inductive bolometer according to claim 6, wherein: Magnetron sputtering technology is used to deposit terahertz antenna metal on the photoresist surface and the exposed SiO2 and SiN double-layer surface. The terahertz antenna metal is a TiW alloy. The process parameters of the magnetron sputtering technology are: gas pressure of 1-10mTorr and power of 50-500W.

9. A terahertz detection system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers are arranged in an array, and the plurality of terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers are divided into a plurality of groups, wherein the plurality of terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometers in each group share a superconducting feeder for coupling, and by adjusting the size of the interdigital capacitor of each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer, each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer has a different initial resonant frequency, thereby being able to distinguish the area where each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer is located, and further being able to simultaneously monitor the intensity changes of the terahertz signal in the area where each terahertz dynamic inductive thermal radiometer is located.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Superconducting transition edge sensor, preparation method and micro energy device

    CN113659067A

Cited By

  • Terahertz kinetic inductance bolometer, preparation method thereof and terahertz detection system

    US12540858B2