G01J2005/123

Scalable thermoelectric-based infrared detector

Device and method of forming the device are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) region and a sensor region. A substrate cavity is formed in the substrate in the sensor region, the substrate cavity including cavity sidewalls and cavity bottom surface and a membrane which serves as a substrate cavity top surface. The cavity bottom surface includes a reflector. The method also includes forming CMOS devices in the CMOS region, forming a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component on the membrane, and forming a back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric disposed on the substrate having a plurality of interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers. The BEOL dielectric includes an opening to expose the MEMS component. The opening forms a BEOL cavity above the MEMS component.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY DEVICE AND SYSTEM
20210124327 · 2021-04-29 ·

An electrical safety device is described which includes a socket arranged to receive an electrical plug of an electrical appliance to connect a current supply to the electrical appliance, a thermal sensor arranged to detect the surface temperature of an electrical plug when received in the socket and a processor in communication with the thermal sensor, the processor configured to determine when the sensed surface temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold. The invention also includes an electrical safety system comprising the electrical safety device configured to communicate with a remote device. The device and system provide early detection of electrical faults and hazards to reduce the risk of fires.

Imaging devices including dielectric metamaterial absorbers and related methods

Imaging devices including dielectric metamaterial absorbers and related methods are disclosed. According to an aspect, an imaging device includes a support. The imaging device also includes multiple dielectric metamaterial absorbers attached to the support. Each absorber includes one or more dielectric resonators configured to generate and emit thermal heat upon receipt of electromagnetic energy.

COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADAPTIVE COOLING OF ANTENNA ELEMENTS
20230411820 · 2023-12-21 ·

A communication apparatus includes an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements, a plurality of thermoelectric devices that are arranged on the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array, and a processor that determines which subset of the antenna elements are in an activated state and which are in a deactivated state, and further executes 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. Further, the processor controls each of the first plurality of thermoelectric devices to apply adaptive cooling on a first subset of antenna elements to maintain a corresponding temperature in a first specified range and apply adaptive cooling on a second subset of antenna elements to maintain a corresponding temperature in a second specified range.

Method for manufacturing a thermoelectric-based infrared detector having a MEMS structure above a hybrid component

Device and method of forming a device are disclosed. The device includes a substrate with a transistor component disposed in a transistor region and a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component disposed on a membrane over a lower sensor cavity in a hybrid region. The MEMS component serves as thermoelectric-based infrared sensor, a thermopile line structure which includes an absorber layer disposed over a portion of oppositely doped first and second line segments. A back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric is disposed on the substrate having a plurality of inter layer dielectric (ILD) layers with metal and via levels. The ILD layers include metal lines and via contacts for interconnecting the components of the device. The metal lines in the metal levels are configured to define a BEOL or an upper sensor cavity over the lower sensor cavity, and metal lines of a first metal level of the BEOL dielectric are configured to define a geometry of the MEMS component.

HETEROGENEOUSLY INTEGRATED THERMAL INFRARED SENSING MEMBER AND THERMAL INFRARED SENSOR
20210048345 · 2021-02-18 ·

A heterogeneously integrated thermal infrared sensing member includes: a substrate; a chamber disposed in or on the substrate; and one or multiple thermal couples formed using materials formed on a sacrificial substrate and transferred to a location above the chamber by way of bonding the substrate to one portion of the materials formed on the sacrificial substrate, removing the sacrificial substrate, and patterning and interconnecting another portion of the material, wherein the thermal couple includes a first conductor and a second conductor, first ends of the first conductor and the second conductor of the thermal couple are connected at a hot junction disposed above the chamber, and second ends of the first conductor and the second conductor of the thermal couple are located at a cold junction region disposed around the chamber.

CMOS cap for MEMS devices

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device embedded with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) components in a MEMS region. The MEMS components, for example, are infrared (IR) thermosensors. The device is encapsulated with a CMOS compatible IR transparent cap to hermetically seal the MEMS sensors in the MEMS region. The CMOS cap includes a base cap with release openings and a seal cap which seals the release openings.

User position detection

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that can include a first housing, a second housing, where the second housing is rotatably coupled to the first housing using a hinge, and at least one thermal sensor to detect the position of a user relative to the electronic device, wherein the thermal sensor includes an array of thermopiles.

Far infrared sensor apparatus having multiple sensing element arrays inside single package
11054313 · 2021-07-06 · ·

A far infrared sensor package includes a package body and a plurality of far infrared sensor array integrated circuits. The plurality of far infrared sensor array integrated circuits are disposed on a same plane and inside the package body. Each of the far infrared sensor array integrated circuits includes a far infrared sensing element array of a same size.

Scalable thermoelectric-based infrared detector

Device and method of forming the device are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) region and a sensor region. A substrate cavity is formed in the substrate in the sensor region, the substrate cavity including cavity sidewalls and cavity bottom surface and a membrane which serves as a substrate cavity top surface. The cavity bottom surface includes a reflector. The method also includes forming CMOS devices in the CMOS region, forming a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component on the membrane, and forming a back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric disposed on the substrate having a plurality of interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers. The BEOL dielectric includes an opening to expose the MEMS component. The opening forms a BEOL cavity above the MEMS component.