Fabrication and Characterization of Metallic Magnetic Calorimeters in NxN Arrays
Abstract
Prototype metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) have demonstrated capabilities desirable of detectors for future x-ray astronomy missions. MMCs have the best theoretical energy resolution of other detectors in development and have demonstrated experimental results on par with transition-edge-sensor and NTD microcalorimeters. Progress has been made towards an optimized fabrication procedure using sputter deposition techniques, coupled with photolithography and lift-off technologies, to fabricate the sensors. Before MMCs can be a viable option, however, detector fabrication techniques must be optimized for large 2-D arrays of detectors. We present progress made towards an optimized fabrication process as well as features which make MMCs particularly promising. This research project was part of an NSF/REU summer internship program at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AAS...205.0605J