Electrothermal model for ideal semiconductor bolometers

Abstract

The electrical responsivity and noise-equivalent power of bolometers may be computed by using small-signal analysis from their electrical and thermal parameters. By using semiempirical equations to describe these parameters in the neighborhood of the heat sink temperature, a model of ideal semiconductor bolometers operated at low temperatures has been developed. By predicting detector performance under a variety of simulated experimental conditions, including, for the first reported time, nonzero background power, the model is a useful tool for optimizing the bolometer for use in a given environment. Comparisons between model predictions and those measured for two real bolometers are presented.