# US 10,502,631 B2 · Thermopile test structure and methods employing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,631 B2 - Document ID: US10502631B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/625,182 - Filed: 2017-06-16 - Published: 2017-12-21 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-17 - Assignees: X-Fab Semiconductor Foundries AG - Applicants: X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries AG - Inventors: Peter Hofmann; Kerst Griesbach; Monika Reinhold - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502631B2 ## CPC - G01J 5/14: Electrical features thereof - G01J 5/0007: {of wafers or semiconductor substrates, e.g. using Rapid Thermal Processing} - G01J 5/024: {Special manufacturing steps or sacrificial layers or layer structures} - G01J 5/06: Arrangements for eliminating effects of disturbing radiation; Arrangements for compensating changes in sensitivity (for adjusting of solid angle of collected radiation G01J5/07; means for wavelength selection G01J5/0801) - G01J 5/12: using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples - G01J 5/16: Arrangements with respect to the cold junction; Compensating influence of ambient temperature or other variables - G01J 5/90: Testing, inspecting or checking operation of radiation pyrometers - G01K 7/02: using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples - G01K 7/028: {using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon} - G01K 15/007: {Testing} - H10N 10/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10N 10/13: characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction - H10N 10/81: Structural details of the junction - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A semiconductor product comprising: a semiconductor substrate and a test structure, the test structure comprising: a thermopile and at least one temperature sensitive element, the at least one temperature sensitive element being located in the substrate, or between the substrate and the thermopile. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor product comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and a test structure comprising: a thermopile and at least two temperature sensitive elements, the at least two temperature sensitive elements being located in the substrate, or between the substrate and the thermopile, wherein one temperature sensitive element is located proximate a central portion of the thermopile and another temperature sensitive element is located proximate an outer portion of the thermopile. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor product according to claim 1, wherein the at least two temperature sensitive elements each comprise a diode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor product according to claim 1, wherein the at least two temperature sensitive elements each comprise a well resistor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor product according to claim 1, wherein the thermopile comprises a polycrystalline semiconductor material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor product according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises silicon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor product according to claim 1, wherein the test structure further comprises at least one conductive element, configured to function as a heater when in use. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semiconductor product according to claim 6, wherein the at least one conductive element is disposed above the thermopile. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The semiconductor product according to claim 6, wherein one temperature sensitive element is located proximate a portion of the thermopile more susceptible to heating and another temperature sensitive element is located proximate a portion of the thermopile less susceptible to heating. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The semiconductor product according to claim 8, wherein the portion of the thermopile more susceptible to heating is a portion of the thermopile more proximate to said conductive element relative to the portion of the thermopile less susceptible to heating. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A wafer comprising one or more semiconductor products according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1, 10) The wafer according to claim 10, further comprising one or more different semiconductor products, said different semiconductor products being distinct from the one or more semiconductor products according to claim 1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 11) The wafer according to claim 11, wherein the one or more semiconductor products according to claim 1 can be separated from the one or more different semiconductor products without damaging the one or more semiconductor products according to claim 1 and/or the one or more different semiconductor products. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1, 11) The wafer according to claim 11, wherein each of the one or more different semiconductor products comprises a thermopile of substantially the same geometry as that of the one or more semiconductor products according to claim 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The wafer according to claim 13, wherein each of the one or more different semiconductor products is formed without said at least two temperature sensitive elements. ### Claim 15 A method of manufacturing a semiconductor product comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming at least two temperature sensitive elements at least partially within the substrate; forming a thermopile structure in one or more conductive layers above the substrate, wherein one temperature sensitive element is located proximate a central portion of the thermopile and another temperature sensitive element is located proximate an outer portion of the thermopile; and testing the thermopile prior to or without reducing the thickness of the substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising reducing the thickness of the substrate, wherein at least one of the at least two temperature sensitive elements is at least partially removed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising reducing the thickness of the substrate in a central portion underneath the thermopile to form a membrane portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the thermopile structure is formed in one or more conductive layers above the at least two temperature sensitive elements. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein said testing comprises: heating a portion of the thermopile; and determining characteristics of the thermopile based on a readout from the at least one two temperature sensitive elements and a readout from the thermopile. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein: the thermopile comprises a cold side and a hot side and one of the at least two temperature sensitive elements is situated beneath the cold side or the hot side; and the heating a portion of the thermopile comprises heating the hot side of the thermopile more than the cold side of the thermopile. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the at least two temperature sensitive elements each comprising a diode, and wherein determining characteristics of the thermopile comprises: measuring an output voltage of the thermopile; measuring an output current of the diodes, and based on known characteristics of the diodes determining a measure of the temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side of the thermopile; and linking the measure of the temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side of the thermopile with the output voltage of the thermopile to obtain a characterization of the thermopile. ### Claim 22 A method for use in conjunction with a wafer formed of a semiconductor substrate, the wafer comprising: at least one first structure having a first thermopile; and at least one second structure, distinct from the first structure, said second structure comprising a test structure comprising: a second thermopile and at least two temperature sensitive elements, the at least two temperature sensitive elements being located in the substrate, or between the substrate and the second thermopile, wherein one temperature sensitive element is located proximate a central portion of the second thermopile and another temperature sensitive element is located proximate an outer portion of the second thermopile, the method comprising: assessing the quality of the first structure by performing a test on the second structure. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22, wherein the test comprises determining the sensitivity of the second thermopile of the second structure based on a readout from the at least two temperature sensitive elements. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22, further comprising utilizing at least one said first structure in forming at least part of a semiconductor product, conditioned on an outcome of said test.