Multilayered microbolometer film deposition

1. A microbolometer, comprising:

a bottom multilayered dielectric, including:

a first silicon oxynitride layer,

a second silicon oxynitride layer disposed above the first silicon oxynitride layer, the first and second silicon oxynitride layers having different refractive indices, and

a silicon nitride layer disposed below the first silicon oxynitride layer;

a detector layer disposed above the bottom multilayered dielectric, the detector layer comprised of a temperature sensitive resistive material; and

a top dielectric disposed above the detector layer.

2. The microbolometer of claim 1 , wherein the silicon nitride layer disposed below the first silicon oxynitride layer comprises a first silicon nitride layer and wherein the second silicon oxynitride layer has a refractive index that is less than a refractive index of the first silicon oxynitride layer.

3. The microbolometer of claim 2 , wherein the first silicon oxynitride layer and the second silicon oxynitride layer are formed consecutively during one growth run.

4. The microbolometer of claim 2 ,

wherein the first silicon nitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 2000 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.6 and about 2.2,

wherein the first silicon oxynitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 2000 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.3 and about 1.9,

wherein the second silicon oxynitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 2000 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.3 and about 1.8, and

wherein the thickness of the second silicon oxynitride layer is greater than the thickness of the first silicon oxynitride layer.

5. The microbolometer of claim 2 , wherein the detector layer is comprised of vanadium oxide and has a thickness between about 300 and about 800 angstroms.

6. The microbolometer of claim 2 , wherein the top dielectric is a top multilayered dielectric including:

a third silicon oxynitride layer disposed above the detector layer;

a fourth silicon oxynitride layer disposed above the third silicon oxynitride layer; and

a second silicon nitride layer disposed above the fourth silicon oxynitride layer.

7. The microbolometer of claim 6 , wherein the third silicon oxynitride layer and the fourth silicon oxynitride layer are formed consecutively during one growth run.

8. The microbolometer of claim 6 ,

wherein the third silicon oxynitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 1200 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.3 and about 1.8,

wherein the fourth silicon oxynitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 1200 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.3 and about 1.9,

wherein the second silicon nitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 1200 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.6 and about 2.2,

wherein the second silicon oxynitride layer has a refractive index that is less than a refractive index of the first silicon oxynitride layer, and

wherein the second silicon oxynitride layer has a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the first silicon oxynitride layer.

9. The microbolometer of claim 1 , wherein the first silicon oxynitride layer and the second silicon oxynitride layer are formed consecutively during one growth run.

10. The microbolometer of claim 1 , wherein the detector layer is comprised of vanadium oxide and has a thickness between about 300 and about 800 angstroms.

11. The microbolometer of claim 1 ,

wherein the first silicon oxynitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 1500 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.3 and about 1.8, and

wherein the second silicon oxynitride layer has a thickness between about 200 and about 2000 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.3 and about 1.9.

12. The microbolometer of claim 11 , wherein the top dielectric includes a silicon nitride layer disposed above the detector layer, the silicon nitride layer having a thickness between about 800 and about 1800 angstroms and a refractive index between about 1.6 and about 2.2.

13. A focal plane array, comprising:

a readout circuit (ROIC); and

a plurality of microbolometers electrically coupled to the ROIC, each microbolometer including:

a bottom multilayered dielectric, including:

a first silicon oxynitride layer,

a second silicon oxynitride layer disposed above the first silicon oxynitride layer, the first and second silicon oxynitride layers having different refractive indices, and

a silicon nitride layer disposed below the first silicon oxynitride layer;

a detector layer disposed above the bottom multilayered dielectric, the detector layer comprised of a temperature sensitive resistive material; and

a top dielectric disposed above the detector layer.

14. The focal plane array of claim 13 , wherein each microbolometer is electrically coupled to the ROIC via contact legs disposed between adjacent microbolometers.

15. The focal plane array of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the contact legs is a shared contact leg disposed between adjacent microbolometers.

16. The focal plane array of claim 13 , further comprising a processor coupled to the ROIC for processing image information output from the ROIC, and a display coupled to the processor for displaying the processed image information.

17. The focal plane array of claim 13 ,

wherein the silicon nitride layer disposed below the first silicon oxynitride layer comprises a first silicon nitride layer; and

wherein the top dielectric is a top multilayered dielectric including:

a third silicon oxynitride layer disposed above the detector layer,

a fourth silicon oxynitride layer disposed above the third silicon oxynitride layer, and

a second silicon nitride layer disposed above the fourth silicon oxynitride layer.

18. The focal plane array of claim 13 , wherein the top dielectric layer includes a silicon nitride layer disposed above the detector layer.

19. A method of fabricating a microbolometer, the method comprising:

forming a bottom multilayered dielectric including:

forming a first silicon oxynitride layer having a first refractive index,

forming a second silicon oxynitride layer above the first silicon oxynitride layer, the second silicon oxynitride layer having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index,

forming a silicon nitride layer below the first silicon oxynitride layer;

forming a detector layer above the second silicon oxynitride layer, the detector layer comprised of a temperature sensitive resistive material; and

forming a top dielectric above the detector layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the first silicon oxynitride layer and forming the second silicon oxynitride layer includes forming the layers consecutively during one growth run.

21. The method of claim 19 ,

wherein forming the bottom multilayered dielectric includes forming the silicon nitride layer as a first silicon nitride layer and then forming the first silicon oxynitride layer above the first silicon nitride layer; and

wherein forming the top dielectric includes forming a top multilayered dielectric including:

forming a third silicon oxynitride layer above the detector layer,

forming a fourth silicon oxynitride layer above the third silicon oxynitride layer, and

forming a second silicon nitride layer above the fourth silicon oxynitride layer.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the top dielectric includes forming an additional silicon nitride layer above the detector layer.

23. The method of claim 19 , further comprising electrically coupling the microbolometer to a readout circuit (ROIC) via contact legs.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

coupling a processor to the ROIC for processing image information output from the ROIC; and

coupling a display to the processor for displaying the processed image information.