Combinatorial synthesis and characterization of silicon germanium oxide (SixGeyO1-x-y) thin films

• Combinatorial approach to investigate electrical properties of Si x Ge y O 1-x- y thin films. • Higher Ge with moderate O and Si (below 9%) leads to higher TCR values. • Increase of Si initially enhanced the TCR with rising resistivity at a certain point. Thermo-sensing material plays a crucial role in the performance of uncooled infrared microbolometers, as it directly determines the device’s ability to detect and measure infrared (IR) radiation. This study rapidly explores the electrical properties of Si x Ge y O 1-x-y IR sensing thin films synthesized via combinatorial approach to efficiently identify the optimized composition of the elements achieving high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), low resistivity, and minimal 1/ f noise. The findings systematically map the effects of the elemental content on electrical properties. By employing a combinatorial synthesis strategy, the optimal stoichiometries of Si, Ge, and O were identified to achieve the most favorable trade-off between TCR and electrical resistivity for Si x Ge y O 1-x-y thin films. Although the measured electrical performance was slightly lower than previously reported values, this discrepancy is attributed to variations in doping levels and microstructural differences. Overall, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of combinatorial approaches in accelerating the development of high-performance IR sensing materials.