Monolithic arrays of absorber-coupled voltage-biased superconducting bolometers

We describe a design for bolometric detectors of infrared and mm-wave radiation produced in large-format filled arrays by standard planar lithography. A square grid of metallized silicon nitride absorbs the radiation. The bolometer suspension, sensor, and wiring occupy a small fraction of the area. We have produced a 1024 element array of fully released and suspended 1.5 mm×1.5 mm bolometer micromeshes with a filling factor of 88%. We describe a voltage-biased superconducting bolometer built as a prototype for one array element. We have measured noise equivalent power =2.3×10−17 W/Hz, τ=24 ms, and G=2.7×10−11 W/K at 304 mK.