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Semiconductor Thermistors

Semiconductor thermistors operating in the variable range hopping conduction regime have been used in thermal detectors of all kinds for more than fifty years. Their use in sensitive bolometers for infrared astronomy was a highly developed empirical art even before the basic physics of the conduction mechanism was understood. Today we are gradually obtaining a better understanding of these devices, and with improvements in fabrication technologies thermometers can now be designed and built with predictable characteristics. There are still surprises, however, and it is clear that the theory of their operation is not yet complete. In this chapter we give an overview of the basic operation of doped semiconductor thermometers, outline performance considerations, give references for empirical design and performance data, and discuss fabrication issues.