The design of high‐Tcsuperconducting bolometers for applications such as infrared imaging arrays is discussed. The dependence of bolometer sensitivity on excess voltage noise in the thermometer is a function of the detector area and thus of the wavelength to be detected. Measurements of the voltage noise in thin films of YBa2Cu3O7−&dgr;on Si, Si3N4, and sapphire substrates are used to predict the performance of different bolometer architectures. Useful opportunities exist for bolometers made on both Si and Si3N4membranes. A readout scheme for two‐dimensional arrays of bolometers is also described in which real‐time signal integration is performed on the chip.