US 11,788,893 B1
Nanoscale bolometer operating near the thermodynamic limit
Charles Thomas Harris, Albuquerque, NM (US); Tzu-Ming Lu, Albuquerque, NM (US); Ting S. Luk, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Peter Anand Sharma, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/718,778.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/178,077, filed on Apr. 22, 2021.
Int. Cl. G01J 5/02 (2022.01); G01J 5/08 (2022.01); G01J 5/20 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 5/0215 (2013.01) [G01J 5/024 (2013.01); G01J 5/0837 (2013.01); G01J 5/0853 (2013.01); G01J 5/20 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nanobolometer, comprising:
a substrate,
a membrane plate suspended above the substrate and structurally tethered to the substrate by a plurality of support beams peripherally attached to and in the same plane as the suspended membrane plate, wherein the suspended membrane plate and the plurality of support beams comprise silicon nitride or silicon and wherein the thickness of the suspended membrane plate and the plurality of support beams is less than 100 nm,
a subwavelength antenna on the front surface of the suspended membrane plate configured to absorb infrared light incident on the front surface of the suspended membrane plate, and
a thermometer disposed on the suspended membrane plate to measure the temperature thereof.