Thermal fluid flow sensor
AssigneeFlusso Limited
InventorsFlorin Udrea, Andrea De Luca, Claudio Falco, Syed Zeeshan Ali, Ethan Gardner
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Abstract
We disclose herein a flow and thermal conductivity sensor comprising a semiconductor substrate comprising an etched portion, a dielectric region located on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the dielectric region comprises at least one dielectric membrane located over the etched portion of the semiconductor substrate and a heating element located within the dielectric membrane. The dielectric membrane comprises one or more discontinuities located between the heating element and an edge of the dielectric membrane.
Claims18
A flow and thermal conductivity sensor comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate comprising an etched portion;
- a dielectric region located on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the dielectric region comprises at least one dielectric membrane located over the etched portion of the semiconductor substrate;
- a heating element located within the dielectric membrane, a pair of temperature sensing elements located on opposing sides of the heating element;
- wherein the dielectric membrane comprises at least one recessed region between the heating element and an edge of the dielectric membrane, wherein the at least one recessed region is arranged to be asymmetrical about an axis defined by the heating element;
- and
- a further heating element positioned towards an edge of the dielectric membrane and at least partially surrounding the heating element.
A method of manufacturing a sensor, the method comprising:
- forming at least one dielectric membrane on a semiconductor substrate comprising an etched portion, wherein the dielectric membrane is over an area of the etched portion of the semiconductor substrate;
- forming a heating element within the dielectric membrane;
- forming a pair of temperature sensing elements located on opposing sides of the heating element;
- forming at least one recessed region within the dielectric membrane and located between the heating element and an edge of the dielectric membrane, wherein the at least one recessed region is arranged to be asymmetrical about an axis defined by the heating element;
- and
- forming a further heating element towards an edge of the dielectric membrane and at least partially surrounding the heating element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.