Broadband graphene-based optical limiter for the protection of backside illuminated CMOS detectors

1. A method of fabricating a sacrificial limiter filter for an optical device, the method comprising:

depositing a first layer of graphene onto a surface of a silicon substrate of the optical device, wherein the optical device is a backside-illuminated focal plane array (FPA) or a backside-illuminated charge coupled device (CCD) camera;

depositing a first nano-layer of dielectric material onto the first layer of graphene;

depositing a second layer of graphene onto the first nano-layer of dielectric material, the first layer of graphene, the first nano-layer of dielectric material, and the second layer of graphene forming a first dipole conductive structure;

depositing a third layer of graphene onto the second layer of graphene;

depositing a second nano-layer of dielectric material onto the third layer of graphene; and

depositing a fourth layer of graphene onto the second nano-layer of dielectric material, the third layer of graphene, the second nano-layer of dielectric material, and the fourth layer of graphene forming a second dipole conductive structure, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth layers of graphene are configured to absorb and scatter at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation incident on the optical device and transmit at least 70% of electromagnetic radiation in a spectral range between about two and about eight microns.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the first layer of graphene comprises growing the first layer of graphene onto the surface of the silicon substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon substrate is a first substrate and depositing at least one of the first, second, third and fourth layers of graphene comprises transferring graphene from a second substrate to the first substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing at least one of the first, second, third and fourth layers of graphene further comprising depositing at least one polymer, the at least one polymer having the graphene contained therein such that the graphene is mixed with the at least one polymer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one polymer includes an epoxy oligomer, wherein the epoxy oligomer is at least one of an optical adhesive and an optical photoresist.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a concentration of graphene in the at least one polymer is in a range of about 0.2% to about 3% by weight.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a thickness of the at least one polymer having the graphene contained therein is in a range of about 50 microns to about 120 microns.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing alternating layers of low and high refraction dielectric materials onto the surface of the silicon substrate prior to depositing the first layer of graphene.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising patterning the fourth layer of graphene such that the fourth layer of graphene exhibits surface plasmon resonance when exposed to desired frequencies of optical radiation.

10. A backside-illuminated CMOS detector comprising:

a silicon substrate; and

at least one layer of graphene-epoxy material consisting of graphene mixed within an optical epoxy adhesive oligomer disposed on a surface of the silicon substrate, the graphene-epoxy material having a thickness in a range of about 50 microns to about 120 microns and including a concentration of graphene in the optical epoxy adhesive oligomer that is about 2% by weight, the at least one layer of graphene-epoxy material including

a first layer of graphene onto a surface of a silicon substrate of the optical device,

a first nano-layer of dielectric material onto the first layer of graphene,

a second layer of graphene onto the first nano-layer of dielectric material, the first layer of graphene, the first nano-layer of dielectric material, and the second layer of graphene forming a first dipole conductive structure,

a third layer of graphene onto the second layer of graphene,

a second nano-layer of dielectric material onto the third layer of graphene, and

a fourth layer of graphene onto the second nano-layer of dielectric material, the third layer of graphene, the second nano-layer of dielectric material, and the fourth layer of graphene forming a second dipole conductive structure,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth layers of graphene are configured to absorb and scatter at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation incident on the optical device and transmit at least 70% of electromagnetic radiation in a spectral range between about two and about eight microns.

11. The backside-illuminated CMOS detector of claim 10 , wherein the at least one layer of graphene-epoxy material is patterned.

12. The backside-illuminated CMOS detector of claim 10 , wherein the thickness of the at least one layer of graphene-epoxy material is about 100 microns.

13. The backside-illuminated CMOS detector of claim 10 , wherein the graphene-epoxy material is about 75% to about 85% optically transmissive in the spectral range.

14. The backside-illuminated CMOS detector of claim 13 , wherein the graphene-epoxy material is configured to block unwanted light radiation outside the spectral range.