Abstract: A method of polishing ferroelectric materials and specifically perovskite materials and still more specifically barium strontium titanate (1) wherein the surface (5) to be polished is initially partially smoothened or planarized by mechanical abrading with final smoothening or planarization provided by a chemical polishing with a polishing wheel using an acidic solution containing essentially the acid, hydrogen peroxide and water. Preferred acids are perchloric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method and structure for etching a thin film perovskite layer (e.g., barium strontium titanate 836) overlying a second material without substantially etching the second material. The method comprises forming a substantially-silicon-free dielectric etchstop layer (e.g., aluminum nitride 858) on a second dielectric layer comprising silicon (e.g., silicon dioxide 818), depositing the perovskite layer over the etchstop layer, forming a mask layer (e.g., photoresist 842) over the perovsklte layer, patterning and removing portions of the mask layer to form a desired pattern, and etching portions of the perovskite layer not covered by the mask layer, whereby the etching stops on the etchstop layer. The structure comprises a substantially-silicon-free dielectric etchstop layer overlying a second dielectric layer comprising silicon, and a perovskite layer having a desired pattern and comprising an etched side overlying a substantially unetched portion of the etchstop layer.

Abstract: This is a system and method of forming a conductive polymer optical coating on an infrared detection system.

Abstract: This is a novel conductive-polymer optical coating for infrared detection and method of making the same. The system may comprise an integrated circuit substrate itself comprising a plurality of mesas and comprising via connections on an upper portion of each of the mesas. The system further comprises a plurality of backside electrical contacts bonded to the via connections, a plurality of infrared-sensitive pixels overlying the electrical contacts, and a conductive-polymer optical coating overlying and electrically connecting the pixels. A method of forming an embodiment of the present invention may comprise forming a conductive-polymer optical coating over a substrate, forming a contact metal on a backside of the substrate, and processing the contact metal, the substrate and the common electrode to form capacitor pixels of the contact metal, the substrate and the corresponding portion of the optical coating.

Abstract: A novel reticulated array comprises islands of ceramic (e.g. BST 40) which are fabricated from novel materials using unique methods of patterning. A shallow etch stop trench (46) is first ion milled around each ceramic island on front side and then filled with an etch stop material (e.g. parylene 48). An optical coat (e.g transparent metal layer 54, transparent organic layer 56 and conductive metallic layer 58) is elevated above the etch stop material by an elevation layer (e.g. polyimide 49). For some applications, it has been experimentally verified that there is no loss, and sometimes a measured increase, in optical efficiency when the optical coating is not planar in topology. Novel fabrication methods also provide for the convenient electrical and mechanical bonding of each of the massive number of ceramic islands to a signal processor substrate (e.g. Si 86) containing a massive array of sensing circuits.

Abstract: An array of thermal sensitive elements (16) may be formed from a pyroelectric substrate (46) having an infrared absorber and common electrode assembly (18) attached thereto. A first layer of electrically conductive contacts (60) is formed to define in part masked (61) and unmasked (68) regions of the substrate (46). A second layer of electrically conductive contacts (62) may be formed on the first layer of contacts (60). A mask layer (66) is formed to encapsulate the exposed portions of the second layer of contacts (62). The unmasked regions (68) are exposed to an etchant (70) and irradiated to substantially increase the reactivity between the unmasked regions (68) and the etchant (70) such that during irradiation, the etchant (70) removes the unmasked regions (68) substantially faster than the first layer of contacts (60) and the mask layer (66).

Abstract: A retractable probe system (12) senses in situ a plurality of predetermined process parameters of a wafer (24) fabrication environment (16) and includes a sensing device (47) for sensing the predetermined process parameters, a probe arm (46) for holding sensing device (47) and having sufficient length to extend sensing device (47) into a predetermined location of the fabrication environment (16). A housing (36) receives the sensing device (47) and probe arm (46). A locator mechanism (52, 42, and 44) controllably locates sensing device 47) and probe arm (46) within fabrication environment (16) and within housing (36). An isolator mechanism (34) isolates sensing device (47) and probe arm (46) within housing (36) and essentially out of gases communication with fabrication environment (16). Cleaning mechanism (54) cleanses sensing device (47) within housing (36) and permits sensing device (47) to be immediately thereafter located in fabrication environment (16).

Abstract: An array of thermal sensitive elements (16) may be formed from a pyroelectric substrate (46) having an infrared absorber and common electrode assembly (18) attached thereto. A first layer of electrically conductive contacts (60) is formed to define in part masked (61) and unmasked (68) regions of the substrate (46). A second layer of electrically conductive contacts (62) may be formed on the first layer of contacts (60). A mask layer (66) is formed to encapsulate the exposed portions of the second layer of contacts (62). The unmasked regions (68) are exposed to an etchant (70) and irradiated to substantially increase the reactivity between the unmasked regions (68) and the etchant (70) such that during irradiation, the etchant (70) removes the unmasked regions (68) substantially faster than the first layer of contacts (60) and the mask layer (66).

Abstract: This is a system and method of forming an electrical contact to the optical coating of an infrared detector. The method may comprise: forming thermal isolation trenches 22 and contact vias 23 in a substrate 20; depositing a bias contact metal 32 into the vias 23 forming biasing contact areas around a periphery of the substrate 20; depositing a first trench filler 24 in the trenches 22 and vias 23; replanarizing; depositing a common electrode layer 25 over the thermal isolation trenches and the biasing contact areas; mechanically thinning the substrate 20 to expose the biasing contact area 32 and the trench filler 24; depositing a contact metal 34 on the backside of the substrate 20, the exposed trench filler 24 and the exposed bias contact area; and etching the contact metal 34 and the trench filler 24 to form pixel mesas of the contact metal 34 and the substrate 20. The thermal isolation trenches 22 and the bias contact vias 23 may be formed by ion milling or laser vaporization.

Abstract: A retractable probe system (12) senses in situ a plurality of predetermined process parameters of a wafer (24) fabrication environment (16) and includes a sensing device (47) for sensing the predetermined process parameters, a probe arm (46) for holding sensing device (47) and having sufficient length to extend sensing device (47) into a predetermined location of the fabrication environment (16). A housing (36) receives the sensing device (47) and probe arm (46). A locator mechanism (52, 42, and 44) controllably locates sensing device 47) and probe arm (46) within fabrication environment (16) and within housing (36). An isolator mechanism (34) isolates sensing device (47) and probe arm (46) within housing (36) and essentially out of gases communication with fabrication environment (16). Cleaning mechanism (54) cleanses sensing device (47) within housing (36) and permits sensing device (47) to be immediately thereafter located in fabrication environment (16).

Abstract: A method of improving the responsivity of a pyroelectric device including providing a pyroelectric element of less than maximum theoretical density having holes therein extending to a surface of the element and having contaminants at the surface (22), cleaning the contaminants from the surface and metallizing the surface prior to contaminant reformation on the surface. The pyroelectric element is preferably a ferroelectric element and preferably barium strontium titanate. The step of cleaning can be by oxygen plasma, acid etch or a combination thereof. When the combination of cleaning steps is used, the step of cleaning comprises etching the surface and then oxygen cleaning the surface.

Abstract: This is a system and method of forming an electrical contact to the optical coating of an infrared detector. The method may comprise: forming thermal isolation trenches 22 in a substrate 20; depositing a trench filler 24 in the thermal isolation trenches 22; depositing a common electrode layer 31 over the thermal isolation trenches 22; depositing an optical coating 26 above the common electrode layer 31; mechanically thinning the substrate to expose the trench filler 24; etching to remove the trench filler 24 in the bias contact area; depositing a contact metal 34 on the backside of the substrate 20, wherein the contact metal 34 connects to the common electrode layer 31 at bias contact areas 34 around a periphery of the thermal isolation trenches; and etching the contact metal 34 and the trench filler 24 to form pixel mesas of the contact metal 34 and the substrate 20. Bias contact vias 23 may be formed in the bias contact areas and then filled with bias contact metal 49.

Abstract: A novel reticulated array comprises islands of ceramic (e.g. BST 40) which are fabricated from novel materials using unique methods of patterning. A shallow etch stop trench (46) is first ion milled around each ceramic island on the front side and then filled with an etch step material (e.g. parylene 48). An optical coat (e.g transparent metal layer 54, transparent organic layer 56 and conductive metallic layer 58) is elevated above the etch step material by an elevation layer (e.g. polyimide 49). For some applications, it has been experimentally verified that there is no loss, and sometimes a measured increase, in optical efficiency when the optical coating is not planar in topology. Novel fabrication methods also provide for the convenient electrical and mechanical bonding of each of the massive number of ceramic islands to a signal processor substrate (e.g. Si 86) containing a massive array of sensing circuits.

Abstract: A novel reticulated array comprises islands of ceramic (e.g. BST 40) which are fabricated from novel materials using unique methods of patterning. A front side optical coating (e.g. transparent metal layer 44, transparent organic layer 46 and conductive metallic layer 48) is elevated above the substrate between the ceramic islands. This allows additional material (e.g. polyimide 38) between the optical coating and the substrate above the regions where cavities are to be etched. Etching of the cavities (72) is performed from the back side of the substrate without damaging the front side optical coating. Novel fabrication methods also provide for the convenient electrical and mechanical bonding of each of the massive number of ceramic islands to a signal processor substrate (e.g. Si 80) containing a massive array of sensing circuits.

Abstract: An etching process is provided using electromagnetic radiation and a selected etchant (52) to selectively remove various types of materials (53) from a substrate (48). Contacts (49, 56, 64) may be formed to shield the masked regions (51) of the substrate (48) having an attached coating (20) during irradiation of the unmasked regions (53) of the substrate (48). The unmasked regions (53) are then exposed to an etchant (52) and irradiated to substantially increase their reactivity with the etchant (52) such that the etchant (52) etches the unmasked regions (53) substantially faster than the masked regions (51) and the contacts (49, 56, 64).

Abstract: An array of thermal sensor elements (16) is formed from a pyroelectric substrate (46) having an infrared absorber and common electrode assembly (18) attached thereto. A first layer of metal contacts (60) is formed to define masked (61) and unmasked (68) regions of the substrate (46). A second layer of metal contacts (62) is formed on the first layer of contacts (60). A radiation etch mask layer (66) is formed to encapsulate the exposed portions of the second layer of contacts (62). A dry-etch mask layer (74) is formed to encapsulate the exposed portions of the first layer of contacts (60) and radiation etch mask layer (66). An initial portion of each unmasked region (68) is etched using a dry-etch process. The remaining portions of the unmasked regions (68) are exposed to an etchant (70) and irradiated with electromagnetic energy to substantially increase the reactivity between the remaining portions and the etchant (70).

Abstract: This is a system and method of forming an electrical contact to the optical coating of an infrared detector. The method may comprise: forming thermal isolation trenches 22 in a substrate 20; depositing a trench filler 24 in the thermal isolation trenches 22; depositing a common electrode layer 31 over the thermal isolation trenches 22; depositing an optical coating 26 above the common electrode layer 31; mechanically thinning the substrate to expose the trench filler 24; etching to remove the trench filler 24 in the bias contact area; depositing a contact metal 34 on the backside of the substrate 20, wherein the contact metal 34 connects to the common electrode layer 31 at bias contact areas 34 around a periphery of the thermal isolation trenches; and etching the contact metal 34 and the trench filler 24 to form pixel mesas of the contact metal 34 and the substrate 20. Bias contact vias 23 may be formed in the bias contact areas and then filled with bias contact metal 49.

Abstract: A novel reticulated array comprises islands of ceramic (e.g. BST 40) which are fabricated from novel materials using unique methods of patterning. A front side optical coating (e.g. transparent metal layer 44, transparent organic layer 46 and conductive metallic layer 48) is elevated above the substrate between the ceramic islands. This allows additional material (e.g. polyimide 38) between the optical coating and the substrate above the regions where cavities are to be etched. Etching of the cavities (72) is performed from the back side of the substrate without damaging the front side optical coating. Novel fabrication methods also provide for the convenient electrical and mechanical bonding of each of the massive number of ceramic islands to a signal processor substrate (e.g. Si 80) containing a massive array of sensing circuits.

Abstract: An array of thermal sensor elements (16) is formed from a pyroelectric substrate (46) having an infrared absorber and common electrode assembly (18) attached thereto. A first layer of metal contacts (60) is formed to define masked (61) and unmasked (68) regions of the substrate (46). A second layer of metal contacts (62) is formed on the first layer of contacts (60). A radiation etch mask layer (66) is formed to encapsulate the exposed portions of the second layer of contacts (62). A dry-etch mask layer (74) is formed to encapsulate the exposed portions of the first layer of contacts (60) and radiation etch mask layer (66). An initial portion of each unmasked region (68) is etched using a dry-etch process. The remaining portions of the unmasked regions (68) are exposed to an etchant (70) and irradiated with electromagnetic energy to substantially increase the reactivity between the remaining portions and the etchant (70).

Abstract: This is a system and method of forming an electrical contact to the optical coating of an infrared detector. The method may comprise: forming thermal isolation trenches 22 in a substrate 20; depositing a trench filler 24 in the thermal isolation trenches 22; depositing a common electrode layer 31 over the thermal isolation trenches 22; depositing an optical coating 26 above the common electrode layer 31; mechanically thinning the substrate to expose the trench filler 24; etching to remove the trench filler 24 in the bias contact area; depositing a contact metal 34 on the backside of the substrate 20, wherein the contact metal 34 connects to the common electrode layer 31 at bias contact areas 34 around a periphery of the thermal isolation trenches; and etching the contact metal 34 and the trench filler 24 to form pixel mesas of the contact metal 34 and the substrate 20. Bias contact vias 23 may be formed in the bias contact areas and then filled with bias contact metal 49.