US4464065A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fast granular superconducting bolometer
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1982-08-09
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Granted: 1984-08-07
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Expires: 2002-08-09
Abstract
Abstract A granular superconducting thin film bolometer made by anodizing a thin film of such materials as niobium nitride to form a thin granular film separated by and covered with the anodized oxide. The bolometer is cooled to its superconducting state and electrically connected to a biasing and detecting network. Its temporal response is better than 1 ns.
Inventors
- 👤 Stuart A. Wolf
- 👤 Ulrich Strom
- 👤 Kurt Weiser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 03:07
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J5/00; G01J5/02; G01J5/06; G01J5/061; G01J5/10; G01J5/20; G01K; G01K17/00; G01K7/00; G01K7/16; G01K7/22; G01K7/223; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S505/00; Y10S505/825; Y10S505/842; Y10S505/847
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A bolometer, comprising: a substrate of material that is thermally conductive but electrically insulating; a superconducting granular thin film formed by partially anodizing a continuous thin film of the material of the grains of said granular thin film, said continuous thin film being deposited upon said substrate; two spaced electrical contacts to said granular film; cooling means for maintaining said substrate at a substantially constant temperature near the superconducting transition temperature of said grains; a biasing network for impressing a current through said granular film; and a detecting network for measuring resistance changes in said granular film.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A bolometer, comprising: a substrate of material that is thermally conductive but electrically insulating; a superconducting granular thin film formed by partially anodizing a continuous thin film of the material of the grains of said granular thin film, said continuous thin film being deposited upon said substrate; two spaced electrical contacts to said granular film; cooling means for maintaining said substrate at a substantially constant temperature near the superconducting transition temperature of said grains; a biasing network for impressing a current through said granular film; and a detecting network for measuring resistance changes in said granular film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A bolometer as recited in claim 1, wherein the granular thin film consists essentially of niobium nitride.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bolometer as recited in claim 1, wherein the granular thin film consists essentially of niobium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A bolometer as recited in claim 1, wherein the granular thin film consists essentially of vanadium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A bolometer as recited in claim 2, wherein the grains of niobium nitride are of thickness between 2 and 4 nm and of diameter between 8 and 10 nm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A bolometer as recited in claim 2, wherein the grains of niobium nitride are of thickness between 2 and 20 nm and of diameter between 3 and 40 nm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A bolometer as recited in claim 1 or 5, wherein the substrate is sapphire.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A bolometer as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for applying a magnetic field so that the superconducting transition temperature is lowered.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-08-07 | 1988-02-06 | 1988-08-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-08-07 | 1992-02-06 | 1992-08-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-08-07 | 1996-02-06 | 1996-08-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |