Infrared Detection by Si‐Ti‐C‐O Fibers

Abstract

Electrical resistivity at 20° to 90°C and infrared (IR) responses (thermal time constant and responsivity of electrical resistance changes) were measured on Si‐Ti‐C‐O fibers. The fibers showed negative temperature coefficient resistance‐temperature characteristics, and the thermistor constant B was 890 to 4760 K. A fast and steady output (resistance change) was observed in response to IR radiation from a 600 K blackbody furnace. The IR response was affected markedly by detector structure; the thermal time constant decreased with decreasing length of the fibers, and the responsivity increased with decreasing number of the fibers. In an IR detector with a separate arrangement of a few (n=10) fibers with a short length (1 mm) and a low resistivity (80 Ω·cm), a thermal time constant of 3.5 ms and a responsivity of 63 V/W were obtained. A fast and steady IR response of Si‐Ti‐C‐O fibers suggests the possibility of detecting both stationary and moving IR sources.