# US 2019/0246459 A1 · Emitter structure and production method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0246459 A1 - Document ID: US20190246459A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/251,713 - Filed: 2019-01-18 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-08 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: David Tumpold; Sebastian Anzinger; Christoph Glacer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190246459A1 ## CPC - H05B 3/20: Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional [2D] plane, e.g. plate-heater (H05B3/62, H05B3/68, H05B3/78, H05B3/84 take precedence) - G01J 3/108: {for measurement in the infrared range} - G01N 21/1702: {with opto-acoustic detection, e.g. for gases or analysing solids} - G01N 21/3504: for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis - H05B 3/03: Electrodes - G01N 2021/1704: {in gases} - H05B 2203/002: Heaters using a particular layout for the resistive material or resistive elements - H05B 2203/032: Heaters specially adapted for heating by radiation heating - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - 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) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract An emitter structure includes a substrate with a membrane arrangement. The membrane arrangement includes at least one first membrane, a first heating path and a second heating path in different substrate planes. The first heating path and the second heating path are positioned with respect to one another such that a projection of the first heating path and a projection of the second heating path onto a common plane lie at least partly next to one another in the common plane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An emitter structure comprising: a substrate having a membrane arrangement comprising at least one first membrane, a first heating path and a second heating path, wherein the first heating path and the second heating path are arranged in different substrate planes and are positioned with respect to one another such that a projection of the first heating path and a projection of the second heating path onto a common plane lie at least partly next to one another in the common plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane arrangement comprises the first membrane with the first heating path on a first main surface of the first membrane and the second heating path on a second known surface of the first membrane, said second ring surface being situated opposite the first main surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane arrangement comprises the first membrane with the first heating path and a second membrane with a second heating path, wherein the first membrane and the second membrane are arranged in different substrate planes in order to arrange the first heating path and the second heating path in different substrate planes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection of the first heating path relative to the projection of the second heating path is spaced apart from one another at least in a region along the first and the second heating path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection of the first heating path and the projection of the second heating path are arranged in a manner adjoining or overlapping one another at least in a region along the first and the second heating path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first membrane forms an emission region configured to emit infrared radiation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a projection area of the first heating path together with a projection area of the second heating path forms a larger projection area than the projection area of the first or the second heating path alone. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein a projection area of the first and the second heating path onto the common plane together is 1.3 times, 1.5 times or 2.0 times the magnitude of a projection area of the first heating path or a projection area of the second heating path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an opening, in which the membrane arrangement is arranged. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a trench, in which the membrane arrangement is arranged, wherein the second membrane together with a trench form a cavity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first membrane and the second membrane are spaced apart from one another, such that an interspace is shaped between the first membrane and the second membrane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the interspace is filled with a gas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and the second membrane comprise a ventilation opening, such that a gas volume enclosed in the interspace can escape toward the outside in the event of its expansion; and/or wherein the substrate comprises a ventilation opening for the interspace, such that an enclosed gas volume can escape toward the outside in the event of its expansion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the emitter structure comprises a third membrane with a third heating path, wherein the third heating path is arranged relative to at least one of the first and the second heating path such that a projection of the third heating path onto the common plane lies next to the projection of the second heating path and/or next to the projection of the first heating path. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first heating path and/or the second heating path have/has a ring shape; or wherein the first heating path and/or the second heating path have/has a meander shape. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane arrangement comprises a further membrane configured to distribute a thermal energy induced by the first and/or the second heating path over a lateral area of the further membrane and to emit infrared radiation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second heating path comprise(s) a doping. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emitter structure comprises an ASIC configured to drive the first and the second heating path. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A non-dispersive infrared sensor system comprising an infrared sensor element and an emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, which is configured to emit an infrared radiation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A photoacoustic spectroscopy system for gas detection comprising an infrared sensor element and an emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, which is configured to emit an infrared radiation. ### Claim 21 A method for producing an emitter structure, the method comprising: forming a membrane arrangement in a substrate comprising at least one first membrane, a first heating path and a second heating path, wherein the first heating path and the second heating path are arranged in different substrate planes and are positioned with respect to one another such that a projection of the first heating path and a projection of the second heating path onto a common plane lie at least partly next to one another in the common plane. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the method further comprises introducing a trench or an opening before forming the membrane arrangement, and wherein the forming the membrane arrangement comprises forming the membrane arrangement arranged in the opening or the trench.