An inexpensive thermopile temperature detector is particularly adapted to monitoring of electrical equipment, such as a power bus bar, within an enclosed area such as a cabinet. The detector may have a plastic housing, a thermopile sensor and a plastic Fresnel lens. Each sensor also includes a calibrated element such that, but for calibration, the same sensor may be used for various applications for different target sizes and distance or, more generally, with respect to effective target percentage of field of view.

A level shift circuit includes: an electrothermal converter converting a first electric signal with a first reference potential as a reference to heat; a thermoelectric converter converting the heat from the electrothermal converter to a second electric signal with a second reference potential which is different from the first reference potential as a reference; and an insulating region electrically insulating the electrothermal converter from the thermoelectric converter.

A level shift circuit includes: an electrothermal converter converting a first electric signal with a first reference potential as a reference to heat; a thermoelectric converter converting the heat from the electrothermal converter to a second electric signal with a second reference potential which is different from the first reference potential as a reference; and an insulating region electrically insulating the electrothermal converter from the thermoelectric converter.

The present invention discloses a thermal pile sensing structure integrated with one or more capacitors, which includes: a substrate, an infrared sensing unit and a partition structure. The infrared sensing unit includes a first and a second sensing structure. Ahot junction is formed between the first and the second sensing structures at a location where the first and the second sensing structures are close to each other. A cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the first sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. Another cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the second sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. A temperature difference between the hot junction and the cold junction generates a voltage difference signal. Apart of the partition structure forms at least one capacitor.

The present invention discloses a thermal pile sensing structure integrated with one or more capacitors, which includes: a substrate, an infrared sensing unit and a partition structure. The infrared sensing unit includes a first and a second sensing structure. Ahot junction is formed between the first and the second sensing structures at a location where the first and the second sensing structures are close to each other. A cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the first sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. Another cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the second sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. A temperature difference between the hot junction and the cold junction generates a voltage difference signal. Apart of the partition structure forms at least one capacitor.

Device and method of forming the devices are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with transistor and sensor regions. The substrate is processed by forming a lower sensor cavity in the substrate, filling the lower sensor cavity with a sacrificial material, forming a dielectric membrane in the sensor region, forming a transistor in the transistor region and forming a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component on the dielectric membrane in the sensor region. The method continues by forming a back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric having a plurality of interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers with metal and via levels disposed on the substrate for interconnecting the components of the device. The metal lines in the metal levels are configured to define 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.

Device and method of forming the devices are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with transistor and sensor regions. The substrate is processed by forming a lower sensor cavity in the substrate, filling the lower sensor cavity with a sacrificial material, forming a dielectric membrane in the sensor region, forming a transistor in the transistor region and forming a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component on the dielectric membrane in the sensor region. The method continues by forming a back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric having a plurality of interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers with metal and via levels disposed on the substrate for interconnecting the components of the device. The metal lines in the metal levels are configured to define 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.

A current sensor includes a primary conductor in which a current flows, a magnetic sensor that detects a strength of a magnetic field produced by the current, and a magnetic body that surrounds a periphery of the primary conductor and the magnetic sensor. Output characteristics of the magnetic sensor include a low-output region in which a measured voltage value lower than a virtual output voltage proportional to a value of the current is outputted. Magnetization characteristics of the magnetic body include a magnetic saturation region in which permeability decreases in ranges where an absolute value of the current is no less than a threshold. An output of the magnetic sensor is corrected such that the measured voltage value increases as a result of a magnetic field leaking from the magnetic body that is within the magnetic saturation region acting on the magnetic sensor that is in the low-output region.

The present invention discloses a thermal pile sensing structure integrated with one or more capacitors, which includes: a substrate, an infrared sensing unit and a partition structure. The infrared sensing unit includes a first and a second sensing structure. A hot junction is formed between the first and the second sensing structures at a location where the first and the second sensing structures are close to each other. A cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the first sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. Another cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the second sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. A temperature difference between the hot junction and the cold junction generates a voltage difference signal. Apart of the partition structure forms at least one capacitor.

The present invention discloses a thermal pile sensing structure integrated with one or more capacitors, which includes: a substrate, an infrared sensing unit and a partition structure. The infrared sensing unit includes a first and a second sensing structure. A hot junction is formed between the first and the second sensing structures at a location where the first and the second sensing structures are close to each other. A cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the first sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. Another cold junction is formed between the partition structure and the second sensing structure at a location where these two structures are close to each other. A temperature difference between the hot junction and the cold junction generates a voltage difference signal. Apart of the partition structure forms at least one capacitor.