Infrared Optical Characterization of PLT Thin Films for Applications in Uncooled Infrared Detectors

Lanthanum-modified lead titanate (PLT) thin films have been grown directly on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si (100) and LaNiO₃/Si (100) substrates by a modified sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the PLT thin films are polycrystalline. The infrared optical properties of the thin films were investigated using infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry (IRSE) in the spectral range of 2.5–12.5 m. By fitting the measured ellipsometric parameter (tan and cos) data with a three phase model (air/PLT/Pt) for the PLT thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si (100) and a four phase model (air/PLT/LNO/Si) for the PLT thin films on LaNiO₃/Si (100) substrates, and a derived classical dispersion relation for the thin films, the optical constants and thicknesses of the thin films have been simultaneously obtained. The refractive index and extinction coefficient of the PLT thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si (100) substrates are slightly larger than those on LaNiO₃/Si (100) substrates. Given the infrared semitransparent metal of Nickel currently used, the absorption of the Ni/PLT/Pt and Ni/PLT/LNO/Si multilayer thin films in this study is very large around 3.0 m and 5.7 m wavelength range and decrease to 15% or 20% in the 8–12.5 m wavelength region.