Optical sensor

An optical sensor comprising:

• a support film;
• a thermoelectric conversion material portion arranged on one main surface of the support film and operative to convert thermal energy into electrical energy;
• a heat sink arranged on another main surface of the support film;
• a light absorption film operative to convert light energy of received light into thermal energy;
• a first electrode electrically connected to the thermoelectric conversion material portion;
• and
• a second electrode arranged separate from the first electrode and electrically connected to the thermoelectric conversion material portion;
• the thermoelectric conversion material portion including
• a plurality of strip-shaped first material layers formed of SiGe having a first conductivity type and operative to convert thermal energy into electrical energy, and
• a plurality of strip-shaped second material layers formed of SiGe having a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type and operative to convert thermal energy into electrical energy,
• each of the first material layers including
• a first region including a first end located on one side in a longitudinal direction, and
• a second region including a second end located on another side in the longitudinal direction;
• each of the second material layers including
• a third region including a third end located on one side in a longitudinal direction, and
• a fourth region including a fourth end located on another side in the longitudinal direction,
• the first electrode being electrically connected to the first region of one of the plurality of first material layers,
• the second electrode being electrically connected to the third region of one of the plurality of second material layers,
• the plurality of first material layers and the plurality of second material layers being alternately arranged in series in such a manner that, except for the first region of the first material layer connected to the first electrode and the third region of the second material layer connected to the second electrode, the first region and the third region are electrically connected to each other and the second region and the fourth region are electrically connected to each other,
• the light absorption film being arranged to form a temperature difference in the longitudinal direction in each of the first and second material layers,
• the support film including
• a first layer arranged on the heat sink side in a thickness direction and configured with a phononic structure having a large number of holes, and
• an insulating second layer arranged on the first layer and in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion.