A detector of electromagnetic radiation (RL) is described. The detector comprises: an oriented polycrystalline layer (2) of thermoelectric material, a substrate (1) superimposed on the top surface of the oriented polycrystalline layer so that the back surface (10) is in contact with the oriented polycrystalline layer, first and second electrodes spaced the one from the other and in electrical contact with the oriented polycrystalline layer. The substrate comprises at least one ceramic layer and the oriented polycrystalline layer has a crystal orientation at an angle comprised between 30 degrees and 55 degrees relative to a normal to the top surface of the substrate.

A novel thermopile having high sensitivity and reliability at the time of measuring a flow rate of gas in a thermopile sensor is provided. A thermopile sensor includes a thermopile in which pairings of PolySi and a metal film are connected in series on an insulating film, the metal film is connected so as to overlap on the PolySi in each pair, the metal film crosses a gap between the PolySi and the PolySi in a connection portion between pairings, and a gap between the PolySis in a portion where the metal film crosses is wider than a gap between the PolySis in the remaining portion.

There is provided a far infrared (FIR) sensor device including a substrate, a thermopile structure and a heat absorption layer. The thermopile structure is arranged on the substrate. The heat absorption layer covers upon the thermopile structure, wherein the heat absorption layer has a hollow space which is formed by etching a metal layer in the heat absorption layer.

A luminescent diode surface within the cold shield of an infrared camera to allow for continuous non-uniformity correction with uniform irradiance across an infrared IR detector array. Further provided by the inclusion of a luminescent diode surface within the cold shield paneling is the ability to change the diode bias providing a negative luminescent effect while utilizing reverse bias and an electro-luminescent effect while utilizing a forward bias. This may then further allow for multiple set points to provide continuous offset and gain correction and to correct non-linear response effects.

Integrated thermal sensor having a housing delimiting an internal space. A support region extends through the internal space; a plurality of thermocouple elements are carried by the support region and are electrically coupled to each other. Each thermocouple element is formed by a first and a second thermoelectrically active region of a first and, respectively, a second thermoelectrically active material, the first thermoelectrically active material having a first Seeback coefficient, the second thermoelectrically active material having a second Seeback coefficient, other than the first Seeback coefficient. At least one of the first and second thermoelectrically active regions is a silicon-based material. The first and second thermoelectrically active regions of each thermocouple element are formed by respective elongated regions extending at a mutual distance into the internal space of the housing, from and transversely to the support region.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detector comprising an optically absorbing membrane suspended over a cavity between the membrane and a substrate, the substrate comprised in the detector, and a thermoelectric transducer attaching the optically absorbing membrane over the cavity, wherein the optically absorbing membrane forms a contacting element between n-type and p-type thermoelectric elements of the thermoelectric transducer.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detector comprising an optically absorbing membrane suspended over a cavity between the membrane and a substrate, the substrate comprised in the detector, and a thermoelectric transducer attaching the optically absorbing membrane over the cavity, wherein the optically absorbing membrane forms a contacting element between n-type and p-type thermoelectric elements of the thermoelectric transducer.

A communication apparatus includes an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements, and a plurality of thermoelectric devices that are arranged on the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array. The communication apparatus further includes a processor that determines which subset of the antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements are in an activated state and which are in a deactivated state, and further control each of the plurality of thermoelectric devices to execute an activation or a deactivation of each of the plurality of thermoelectric devices in synchronization with the activated state or the deactivated state of different subsets of antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements.

A thermometry apparatus used during hyperthermia therapy, which has a mat that can be used in combination with a non-invasive thermometry system. The mat has a top face and a bottom face. Between the top face and the bottom face are embedded wires. The wires provide skin and treatment head thermal information based on the thermal coefficient of resistance of the wires or via two metals in a thermocouple configuration. The mat is placed between the skin and an ultrasound head. The mat is flexible enough to conform to the patient’s body shape at the treatment point. The mat may be used in combination with an infrared camera, where at least one IR camera is pointed at a semi perpendicular angle to the mat, whereby the IR camera measures the temperature directly from the mat side and continually below the ultrasound head providing thermal depth measurements.

An analog-to-digital converter and a thermopile array. The analog-to-digital converter comprises: a reference voltage generation circuit comprising a voltage generation unit; a chopping modulation unit used to perform chopping modulation on a voltage signal generated by the voltage generation unit, and to modulate low frequency noise of the voltage signal into high frequency noise; and a low-pass filter used to eliminate the high frequency noise to obtain a reference voltage. The invention employs a simple structure to obtain a low noise reference voltage at low costs.