Enhanced bolometric properties of TiO2−x thin films by thermal annealing

The effect of thermal annealing on the bolometric properties of TiO2−x films was investigated. The test-patterned TiO2−x samples were annealed at 300 °C temperature in order to enhance their structural and electrical properties for effective infrared image sensor device applications. The crystallinity was changed from amorphous to rutile/anatase in annealed TiO2−x films. Compared to the as-deposited samples, a decrement of the band gap and a decrease of the electrical resistivity were perceived in annealed samples. We found that the annealed samples show linear current-voltage (I−V) characteristic performance, which implies that ohmic contact was well formed at the interface between the TiO2−x and the Ti electrode. Moreover, the annealed TiO2−x sample had a significantly low 1/f noise parameter (1.21 × 10−13) with a high bolometric parameter (β) value compared to those of the as-deposited samples. As a result, the thermal annealing process can be used to prepare TiO2−x film for a high-performance bolometric device.