Characterization and modeling of metal-film microbolometer

The characteristic thermal parameters of a platinum-film microbolometer are extracted from the data of two measuring methods. A simple and accurate equivalent circuit model, along with its thermal behavior, is proposed for the device. Applying the model to simulate some device circuits results in good agreement with the experimental data. Furthermore, an effective method of ambient temperature compensation, proposed previously by our laboratory, is demonstrated both experimentally and by simulation using the same model. The established electro-thermal model therefore serves as an useful tool for SPICE simulations in the design of microbolometers.