Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring temperature of ultra small areas

US4613238A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 27, 1985
Grant dateSep 23, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 27, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S204/06
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for measuring the temperature in an ultra small area by determining the electrical resistance, or changes in electrical resistance in an electrical circuit. The system utilizes a temperature sensory element comprised of a microcapillary tube containing an ionic liquid and an electrical circuit capable of measuring the electrical resistance, or the changes in the electrical resistance, of the liquid. The temperature sensory element is of a size useful to measure the temperature in ultra small areas. The temperature sensory element ranges up to about 2.0 microns in outside diameter, and more preferably has an outside diameter between about 0.1 and about 1.0 micron, and most preferably between about 0.5 and about 1.5 micron. Minute changes in the electrical resistance of the liquid within the temperature sensory element reflect minute temperature changes in the immediate area of the temperature sensory element.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.