Thermopile　infrared　detector　is　a　kind　of　detector　device　mainly　composed　of　thermocouple　as　the　basic　unit.　Because　of　its　simple　principle,　no　need　of　cooling　equipment,　and　other　advantages,　it　has　been　widely　used　in　various　fields　of　production　and　life.　However,　the　absorption　rates　of　the　materials　in　conventional　thermopile　devices　are　poor,　and　the　majority　of　them　are　incompatible　with　microfabrication　methods.　In　this　work,　a　metal　thermopile　infrared　detector　with　vertical　graphene　(VG)　is　designed　and　fabricated.　The　VG　is　grown　via　plasma　enhanced　chemical　vapor　deposition,　and　retained　at　the　device’s　thermal　ends　to　provide　the　thermopile　IR　detector’s　wideband　and　high　response　characteristics.　The　detector　achieves　a　room　temperature　responsivity　reaching　a　value　as　high　as　1.53　V/W　at　792　nm,　which　can　increase　the　response　results　about　28　times　and　reduce　the　response　time　to　0.8　ms　compared　with　the　thermopile　detector　without　VG.　After　systematically　measuring　the　response　results,　it　is　finally　found　that　there　are　three　main　mechanisms　responsible　for　the　response　on　the　composite　device.　The　first　one　is　the　response　generated　by　the　metal　thermopile　itself　alone.　The　second　one　is　the　response　increased　eventually　by　the　contribution　of　VG　covered　at　the　metal　thermal　junction　that　expands　the　temperature　difference.　The　last　one　is　the　response　generated　by　the　temperature　gradient　existing　inside　the　VG　on　the　surface　of　the　device　after　the　absorption　of　heat.　The　portion　of　each　partial　response　mechanism　in　the　total　response　is　also　analyzed,　providing　a　new　reference　direction　for　analyzing　the　response　generation　mechanism　of　thermopile　detectors　with　other　absorbing　materials.　The　process　is　compatible　with　the　microfabrication,　while　the　device　performance　is　enhanced　and　suitable　for　mass　production.　Furthermore,　by　utilizing　the　surface　plasmon　resonance　to　combine　VG　with　metal　nanoparticles,　the　material’　s　light　absorption　is　found　to　be　enhanced　significantly　under　the　same　conditions,　and　the　resulting　thermal　voltage　can　be　increased　to　6　times.　The　results　indicate　that　VG　promises　to　possess　practical　applications,　in　many　fields　such　as　photoelectric　sensing　and　power　production　devices.　This　technology　provides　a　new　method　to　manufacture　high-performance　thermopile　infrared　detectors　and　other　sensor　devices.　©　2023　Chinese　Physical　Society.