Heating element for microfluidic and micromechanical applications
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsGaetano Santoruvo, Stefano Lo Priore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated heater formed as a field effect transistor in a semiconductor substrate, with the transistor having source and drain regions with a channel region extending therebetween to conduct current. The channel region has a resistance when conducting current to generate heat above a selected threshold. A dielectric layer is disposed on the channel region and a gate electrode is disposed on the dielectric layer to control the current of the channel region. A thermally insulating barrier may be formed in the semiconductor material extending about the transistor. The object to be heated is positioned to receive the heat generated by the resistance of the channel region; the object may be a fluid chamber.
Claims43
An integrated heater comprising:
- a semiconductor material;
- at least one transistor formed in the semiconductor material and operable to generate heat above a selected threshold;
- and
- an object to be heated positioned adjacent to the transistor to receive the heat generated by the transistor.
An integrated heater comprising:
- a semiconductor material;
- a plurality of transistors formed in the semiconductor material and selectively operable to generate heat;
- and
- an object to be heated positioned adjacent to the transistors to receive the heat generated by the transistors.
An integrated heater comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a source region disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
- a drain region disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
- a channel region disposed in the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions to conduct electric current between the source and drain regions, the channel region having a resistance when conducting current to generate heat above a selected threshold;
- a dielectric layer disposed on the channel region;
- a gate electrode disposed on the dielectric layer to control the current conducted by the channel region;
- and
- an object to be heated positioned to receive the heat generated by the resistance of the channel region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.