US5264699A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Infrared detector hybrid array with improved thermal cycle reliability and method for making same
Assignee: Amber Engineering Inc
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Filing: 1991-02-20
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Granted: 1993-11-23
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Expires: 2011-02-20
Abstract
Abstract A hybrid infrared focal plane array detector employs a thinned detector layer and substrate directly bonded to a conventional semiconductor readout integrated circuit substrate. The infrared detector layer and transparent substrate is thinned to a thickness of approximately 25-400μ to allow the detector to act like a flexible membrane to elastically respond to thermal mismatch due to differing coefficients of thermal expansion between the detector and semiconductor readout circuit as the hybrid device is cooled from manufacturing at room temperature to cryogenic operation temperatures. By thinning the detector substrate to a desired thickness, essentially unlimited hybrid detector sizes may be obtained. Additionally, the detector layer and substrate may be divided into sub-arrays to provide further resistance to stress induced from thermal mismatch.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffrey Barton
- 👤 Arthur H. Lockwood
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 09:39
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/18; H10F39/184; H10F39/1843; H10W; H10W74/00; H10W74/01; H10W74/012; H10W74/10; H10W74/15; H10W90/00; H10W72/00; H10W72/071; H10W72/072; H10W72/07202; H10W72/07231; H10W72/07236; H10W72/851; H10W72/853; H10W72/856; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/977
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A hybrid infrared detector array, comprising: a silicon substrate including a readout circuit formed on an upper major surface of the silicon substrate; and an infrared detector array portion including an active infrared detection layer formed under a transparent infrared substrate, said detector array portion being bonded to the upper major surface of said silicon substrate so as to be electrically connected with said readout circuit, said detector array portion having a thickness of between about 25μ and 225μ.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A hybrid infrared detector array, comprising: a silicon substrate including a readout circuit formed on an upper major surface of the silicon substrate; and an infrared detector array portion including an active infrared detection layer formed under a transparent infrared substrate, said detector array portion being bonded to the upper major surface of said silicon substrate so as to be electrically connected with said readout circuit, said detector array portion having a thickness of between about 25μ and 225μ.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 1, wherein said transparent infrared substrate is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of CdTe, CdZnTe, and CdSeTe, and wherein said active infrared detection layer is composed of HgCdTe.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 1, wherein the infrared detector array has a major surface area of approximately 0.5 inches by 0.5 inches.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 1, wherein said detector array portion and said silicon substrate are bonded together through indium electrical connection bonding bumps and epoxy bonding material interspersed between said indium bonding bumps.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 1, wherein said active infrared detection layer includes a plurality of infrared photodiode structures.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 1, wherein said detector array portion is divided into a plurality of detector sub-arrays, separated from each other by a plurality of channels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 4, wherein said detector array portion is approximately 0.5 inches by 0.5 inches in surface area and wherein said subarrays are approximately 0.125 inches by 0.125 inches or less in surface area.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 6, wherein said detector array portion has a surface area of approximately 0.75 inches by 0.75 inches and said detector sub-arrays have a size of approximately 0.125 inches by 0.125 inches.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 1, wherein said infrared transparent substrate is a compound semiconductor material with one or more component compounds selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, or Hg in combination with Te or Se.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 1, wherein said active infrared detector layer is a compound semiconductor material with one or more component compounds selected from the group consisting or Zn, Cd or Hg in combination with Te or Se, said component compounds being selected to provide a band gap energy corresponding to the wavelength of the infrared radiation to be detected.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A hybrid infrared detector array as set out in claim 9, wherein said compound semiconductor material of said infrared transparent substrate is CdSeTe and said active infrared detection layer is a compound composed of HgZnTe.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for forming a hybrid infrared detector, comprising the steps of: providing an infrared readout circuit formed in a semiconductor integrated circuit substrate; mounting an infrared detector portion to the infrared readout circuit substrate, said infrared detector portion having an active infrared detection layer formed under an infrared transparent substrate; and thinning the infrared transparent substrate to provide a thickness of about 25-225μ for the infrared detector portion.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for forming a hybrid infrared detector, comprising the steps of: providing an infrared readout circuit formed in a semiconductor integrated circuit substrate; mounting an infrared detector portion to the infrared readout circuit substrate, said infrared detector portion having an active infrared detection layer formed under an infrared transparent substrate; and thinning the infrared transparent substrate to provide a thickness of about 25-225μ for the infrared detector portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method for forming a hybrid infrared detector as set out in claim 12, wherein said step of thinning comprises lapping the transparent substrate to approximately the desired thickness followed by polishing the transparent substrate to the desired thickness.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as set out in claim 12, wherein said infrared transparent substrate is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of CdTe, CdZnTe, and CdSeTe and wherein said active infrared detection layer is composed of HgCdTe.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as set out in claim 12, wherein said infrared transparent substrate has a major surface area of approximately 0.5 inches by 0.5 inches.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as set out in claim 12, wherein said step of thinning the infrared transparent substrate comprises employing diamond turning the substrate to a desired thickness.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as set out in claim 12, wherein said infrared transparent substrate is a compound semiconductor material with one or more component compounds selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd or Hg in combination with Te or Se.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as set out in claim 12, wherein said active infrared detection layer is a compound semiconductor material with one or more component compound selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd or Hg in combination with Te or Se.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as set out in claim 17, wherein said infrared transparent substrate is composed of CdSeTe and said active infrared detection layer is composed of HgZnTe.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for forming a hybrid infrared detector array, comprising the steps of: providing an active infrared detection layer on an infrared transparent substrate to form an infrared detector portion; etching a plurality of channels through the active infrared detection layer into said transparent substrate; providing a readout circuit formed on an upper major surface of a semiconductor substrate; mounting the infrared detector portion on the upper major surface of said semiconductor substrate; and, after said mounting step, thinning the infrared transparent substrate to a thickness less than the depth of said channels.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for forming a hybrid infrared detector array, comprising the steps of: providing an active infrared detection layer on an infrared transparent substrate to form an infrared detector portion; etching a plurality of channels through the active infrared detection layer into said transparent substrate; providing a readout circuit formed on an upper major surface of a semiconductor substrate; mounting the infrared detector portion on the upper major surface of said semiconductor substrate; and, after said mounting step, thinning the infrared transparent substrate to a thickness less than the depth of said channels.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as set out in claim 20, wherein said step of providing an active infrared detection layer on an infrared transparent substrate comprises depositing a desired active detector layer material through liquid phase epitaxy on a infrared transparent substrate.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as set out in claim 21, wherein said step of providing an active infrared detection layer comprises providing an active infrared detection layer of approximately 25μ thickness formed on an infrared transparent substrate of approximately 875μ thickness.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as set out in claim 20, wherein said step of mounting said infrared detector portion on said semiconductor substrate comprises indium bump bonding the infrared detector portion to said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as set out in claim 23, wherein said step of mounting further comprises providing an epoxy bonding layer between said indium bump bonds.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as set out in claim 24, further comprising the step, after said step of thinning the infrared transparent substrate, of removing the epoxy bonding material in said channels.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-11-22 | 1997-05-24 | 1997-11-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-11-22 | 2001-05-24 | 2001-11-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-11-22 | 2005-05-24 | 2005-11-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |