INFRARED DETECTING ELEMENT, AND INFRARED DETECTING ELEMENT MANUFACTURING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an infrared detecting element improved in the infrared absorption rate of infrared absorbing film and a novel manufacturing method for forming such elements.SOLUTION: An infrared absorbing film 6 consists of a first gold black film 8 on a membrane and a second gold black film 9 whose cluster size is greater than that of a lower-layer first gold black film 8 and whose cluster plane density is not smaller than 1.6 units/100 μm. An infrared detecting element manufacturing method comprises a first film formation step of forming a first gold black film 8, a second film formation step of forming an upper-layer second gold black film 9 and a thinned-out film formation preparatory step of exposing, in advance of the second film formation step, a semiconductor substrate having gone through the first film formation step to air differing in temperature or humidity from the first and second film formation steps. By transiently adding moisture to the earlier formed infrared absorbing film, mutual adhesion among gold particulates may be enhanced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】赤外線吸収膜の赤外線吸収率を従来より向上させた赤外線検知素子及びこの素子を形成する新規な製造方法を提供する。【解決手段】赤外線吸収膜６は、メンブレン上の第１の金黒膜８と、そのクラスタサイズが下層の第１の金黒膜８よりも大きく、クラスタ平面密度が1.6個／100μｍ2以上である第２の金黒膜９からなる。赤外線検知素子の製造方法は第１の金黒膜８を形成する第１の成膜工程と、上層の第２の金黒膜９を形成する第２の成膜工程と、第２の成膜工程前に、第１の成膜工程終了後の半導体基板を第１及び第２の成膜工程とは温度又は湿度の異なる空気に晒す間引き成膜準備工程とを有している。形成された赤外線吸収膜に対して一時的に水分を加えることによって金の微粒子の相互の密着性を高めても良い。【選択図】 図２