Patent ID: 7915585

Claim:
A method for manufacturing at least one microbolometer pixel comprising the steps of: providing a sacrificial layer over a substrate with at least one readout integrated circuit pad wherein a post is disposed between said at least one integrated circuit pad and a dielectric layer comprising at least one via to said post; forming at least one VO x layer over said at least one via and said dielectric layer; depositing a second dielectric layer on said VO x layer; depositing an ion implant mask layer on said dielectric layer; patterning said mask and etching said second dielectric layer leaving a protected sensing bridge region; implanting ions whereby VO x of said VO x layer is converted to mixed phase vanadium oxide (VO x /V 2 O 3 /VO/V) and whereby electrical resistivity of unmasked area of said VO x layer is decreased.