Root mean square sensor device
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsMarco Corsi, Barry Jon Male
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor device includes a first and second Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEM) structures. The first MEM structure includes a first heating element on a first layer of the first MEM structure. The first heating element includes an input adapted to receive an input signal. The first MEM structure also includes a first temperature sensing element on a second layer of the first MEM structure. The second MEM structure includes a second heating element on a first layer of the second MEM structure and a second temperature sensing element on a second layer of the second MEM structure. An output circuit has a first input coupled to the first temperature sensing element and a second input coupled to the second temperature sensing element.
Claims16
A sensor circuit package comprising:
- at least two Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEM) structures, each of the MEM structures comprising:
- a central core region including a thermal converter circuit that is configured to heat the central core region in response to a signal at an input thereof and to provide an temperature signal representing a temperature of a heated area of the central core region;
- and
- a support structure coupled between the central core region and a bulk substrate base layer, the support structure configured to support the central core region to be thermally and mechanically isolated with respect to the bulk substrate base layer;
- and
- an amplifier circuit configured to provide an amplifier signal at an output of the amplifier based on the output signals provided by the thermal converters of the respective MEM structures.
A sensor circuit package comprising:
- at least two Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEM) structures, each of the MEM structures comprising:
- a central core region including a thermal converter, the thermal converter having an input and an output;
- circuit
- a support structure coupled between the central core region and a bulk substrate base layer,;
- and
- an amplifier circuit configured to provide an amplifier signal at an output of the amplifier based on output signals provided by the thermal converters of the respective MEM structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.