Enhanced AlN nanostructures for pyroelectric sensors
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
1-1-2014
Abstract
Measurements of the pyroelectric coefficient and pyroelectric voltage response of polycrystalline AlN films are presented. The results were used to calculate pyroelectric detectivity figures of merit in order to compare potential AlN pyroelectric sensor performance to other pyroelectric materials such as epitaxial AlN, PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3, and Ba0.65Sr0.35TiO3 films. We observed substantial enhancement (∼5x) of pyroelectric coefficient and pyroelectric figure of merit in polycrystalline multi-oriented AlN films when compared to epitaxial monocrystalline AlN films. A mechanism of such augmentation in polycrystalline AlN films is proposed and discussed. Despite the relatively small absolute value of pyroelectric coefficient, AlN presents pyroelectric detectivity figure of merit near the same magnitude as commonly used pyroelectric materials because of its relatively low dielectric constant. The low dielectric constant enables high speed sensor operation >MHz. The results of these studies are suggesting even higher pyroelectric response might be obtainable for the polycrystalline thin film AlN structures. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Physica Status Solidi (C) Current Topics in Solid State Physics
Volume
11
Issue
3-4
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Crisman, E., A. Drehman, R. Miller, A. Osinsky, D. Volovik, and V. Vasilyev. "Enhanced AlN nanostructures for pyroelectric sensors." Physica Status Solidi (C) Current Topics in Solid State Physics 11, 3-4 (2014): 517-520. doi: 10.1002/pssc.201300513.