Plasmonically Enhanced Flexural-Mode AlScN Nanoplate Resonator as Uncooled and Ultrafast IR Detector with High Responsivity

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel uncooled, ultrafast IR detector using plasmonically enhanced AlScN nanoplates, achieving high responsivity, fast response, and potential for high-resolution thermal imaging.

Contribution

It introduces the first experimental integration of plasmonic absorbers with AlScN resonators for IR detection, combining high responsivity and ultrafast response in a miniaturized device.

Findings

IR responsivity of ~130 ppt/pW

Thermal time constant of ~330 microseconds

High out-of-plane displacement and spectral selectivity

Abstract

This letter introduces a novel class of miniaturized, uncooled, and ultra-fast infrared (IR) resonant thermal detectors (RTDs) based on 30%-doped Aluminum Scandium Nitride (AlScN) nanoplates. Exploiting high electromechanical coupling, good thermal properties, and enhanced and selective IR absorption, the presented device aims to demonstrate significant advancements over the state-of-the-art IR RTDs. This single pixel combines compact footprint, high spectral selectivity and responsivity, reduced noise, and fast thermal response, allowing for the potential development of innovative IR thermal imagers through multi-pixel integration. The flexural nature of the actuated resonance mode eventually enables an interferometric optical readout, paving the way towards achieving extremely low Noise Equivalent Power levels. These results demonstrate a high IR responsivity of around 130 ppt/pW, a thermal time constant of around 330 us, and a large out-of-plane displacement. This work represents the first experimental integration on a resonating platform of plasmonic absorbers that utilize AlScN as dielectric layer.