Integrated thermopile sensor for automotive, spectroscopic and imaging applications, and methods of fabricating same
US5689087A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 4, 1994 |
| Grant date | Nov 18, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 4, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01K7/02
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A highly integrated thermal sensor (10) is responsive to radiation having wavelengths within a predetermined band of wavelengths. The sensor, which may be a thermopile, is comprised of a substrate (16) comprised of at least one semiconductor material. The substrate includes at least one active region disposed within a first surface of the substrate. The sensor further includes a plurality of thermally-responsive junctions (HJ, CJ) between dissimilar materials (22, 24) that are disposed within the at least one active region, wherein at least one of the thermally-responsive junctions is a hot junction. The hot junction is thermally isolated from the substrate by being suspended from the substrate on dielectric bridges or, in another embodiment, by a thermally insulating and patterned polymer. In a backside illuminated embodiment of this invention the sensor further includes an optical cavity (26) formed within a second surface of the substrate in registration with the active region. The optical cavity includes a radiation absorbing region (28) that is thermally coupled to the at least one hot junction. The sensor further includes an optical filter (30) that is disposed over the optic…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.