Patent classifications
H01L27/16
Semiconductor device heat extraction by spin thermoelectrics
Electrical devices with an integral thermoelectric generator comprising a spin-Seebeck insulator and a spin orbit coupling material, and associated methods of fabrication. A spin-Seebeck thermoelectric material stack may be integrated into macroscale power cabling as well as nanoscale device structures. The resulting structures are to leverage the spin-Seebeck effect (SSE), in which magnons may transport heat from a source (an active device or passive interconnect) and through the spin-Seebeck insulator, which develops a resulting spin voltage. The SOC material is to further convert the spin voltage into an electric voltage to complete the thermoelectric generation process. The resulting electric voltage may then be coupled into an electric circuit.
Semiconductor sensor device and semiconductor sensor device manufacturing method
Connection with a wiring structure can be reliably achieved, whereby a semiconductor sensor device and a semiconductor sensor device manufacturing method with increased reliability are provided. A semiconductor sensor device in which a multiple of signal lines and a sensor detection portion are disposed includes a conductive film, disposed on a substrate, that configures the signal lines and whose upper face is exposed by an aperture portion of a width smaller than a width of the signal lines, a conductive member formed on the conductive film and electrically connected to the conductive film via the aperture portion, and a wiring structure, formed on an upper face of the conductive member, of an air bridge structure that connects the signal lines or the signal lines and the sensor detection portion, wherein an upper surface of the conductive member is in contact with the wiring structure, and a side face is exposed.
Phononically-enhanced imager (PEI) pixel
An imager pixel comprising a micro-platform supported by phononic nanowires, the nanowires providing an extreme-level of thermal isolation from a surrounding substrate. The micro-platform in embodiments comprises thermal sensors sensitive to heat from absorbed incident longwave/shortwave photonic irradiation. In embodiments, the pixel photonic sensing structure comprises both a thermal sensor together with a separate photodiode/phototransistor/photogate for sensing RGB and NIR wavelengths. Some embodiments comprise a micro-platform with an integral Peltier thermoelectric element permitting in situ refrigeration to cryogenic temperatures.
MONOLITHICALLY INTEGRATED MULTI-SENSOR DEVICE ON A SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE AND METHOD THEREFOR
A monolithically integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) is disclosed. A MIMs integrated circuit comprises a plurality of sensors. For example, the integrated circuit can comprise three or more sensors where each sensor measures a different parameter. The three or more sensors can share one or more layers to form each sensor structure. In one embodiment, the three or more sensors can comprise MEMs sensor structures. Examples of the sensors that can be formed on a MIMs integrated circuit are an inertial sensor, a pressure sensor, a tactile sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a microphone, a force sensor, a load sensor, a magnetic sensor, a flow sensor, a light sensor, an electric field sensor, an electrical impedance sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, a chemical sensor, a gas sensor, a liquid sensor, a solids sensor, and a biological sensor.
UNCOOLED THERMAL IMAGER
A multispectral or thermal imager comprising a lens assembly, an array of IC, chips that is arranged in a field of view of the lens assembly, each IC chip comprising an array of thermopile devices, and a filter assembly comprising one or more wavelength filters. The filter assembly comprises a respective wavelength filter for at least one of the three or more rows of IC chips. At least one wavelength filter is one of the three or more rows of IC chips. At least one wavelength filter is transparent in a portion of a wavelength range that passes through the lens assembly. The filter assembly is configured such that radiation of the same wavelength range passes to the rows of IC chips in the pair of non-adjacent rows, and such that the wavelength range that passes to the rows in the pair of non-adjacent rows is different from a wavelength range that passes to the one or more rows other than the pair of non-adjacent rows.
THERMO-ELECTRIC CONTROLLED SWITCHING CIRCUIT
A system on an integrated circuit (IC) chip includes an input terminal and a return terminal, a heater, a thermopile, and a switch device. The heater is coupled between the input terminal and the return terminal. The thermopile is spaced apart from the heater by a galvanic isolation region. The switch device includes a control input coupled to an output of the thermopile. The switch device is coupled to at least one output terminal of the IC chip.
FAST-RATE THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE
A fast-rate thermoelectric device control system includes a fast-rate thermoelectric device, a sensor, and a controller. The fast-rate thermoelectric device includes a thermoelectric actuator array disposed on a wafer, and the thermoelectric actuator array includes a thin-film thermoelectric (TFTE) actuator that generates a heating and/or a cooling effect in response to an electrical current. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature associated with the heating or cooling effect and output a feedback signal indicative of the measured temperature. The controller is in communication with the fast-rate thermoelectric device and the sensor, and is configured to control the electrical current based on the feedback signal.
POWER HARVESTING FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
Integrated circuit devices which include a thermoelectric generator which recycles heat generated by operation of an integrated circuit, into electrical energy that is then used to help support the power requirements of that integrated circuit. Roughly described, the device includes an integrated circuit die having an integrated circuit thereon, the integrated circuit having power supply terminals for connection to a primary power source, and a thermoelectric generator structure disposed in sufficient thermal communication with the integrated circuit die so as to derive, from heat generated by the die, a voltage difference across first and second terminals of the thermoelectric generator structure. A powering structure is arranged to help power the integrated circuit, from the voltage difference across the first and second terminals of the thermoelectric generator. The thermoelectric generator can include IC packaging material that is made from thermoelectric semiconductor materials.
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer, a first electrode on a first surface of the semiconductor layer, a plurality of second electrodes on a second surface of the semiconductor layer, a control electrode between the first electrode and each of the plurality of second electrodes and electrically insulated from the semiconductor layer and each of the plurality of second electrodes, and a resin layer partially covering the second surface of the semiconductor layer and having a plurality of openings through which the respective second electrodes are at least partially exposed. Each of the plurality of openings has rounded corners. The device further includes a sensor element above the second surface of the semiconductor layer and covered by a first part of the resin layer surrounded by the openings.
ACCLIMATED REGULATING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONICS PACKAGES
A self-acclimating electronics package includes an electronic chip, an electrically resistive material with a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity, the electrically resistive material being thermally coupled to the electronic chip, and a thermoelectric cooler thermally coupled to the electronic chip. The thermoelectric cooler is electrically connected in series with the electrically resistive material and a power supply to cool the electronic chip, where if a temperature of the electronic chip increases, a resistance of the electrically resistive material decreases to cause the a voltage supplied to the thermoelectric cooler to increase, and if a temperature of the electronic chip decreases, a resistance of the electrically resistive material increases to cause the a voltage/current applied to the thermoelectric cooler to decrease. This resilient self-acclimating cooling system eliminates any control hardware, firmware, and/or software which may be costly, complicated, and may require additional packaging space and/or tuning.