Process flow for thin contactless thermal sensors
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics International N.V.
InventorsEnri DUQI, Giorgio ALLEGATO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method of forming a thermal sensor, including patterning an active layer on a first face of a handle substrate to form a frame, a mass carrying at least one thermally isolated MOS (TMOS) transistor, and a spring structure connecting the mass to the frame while thermally isolating the mass from the frame. The frame is then bonded to pads on a first face of an integrated circuit substrate. The handle substrate is removed, and a top cap is bonded to the first face of the integrated circuit substrate to enclose at least the mass and spring within the sealed cavity.
Claims20
A sensing device, comprising:
- a thermal sensor array comprising a plurality of thermal sensor sub-arrays, each including an array of thermal sensors, each thermal sensor comprising a thermal mass suspended over a thermal cavity and between two sides of a first frame by a plurality of springs, the thermal mass containing a first plurality of thermally isolated MOS (TMOS) transistors;
- and
- a reference sensor array comprising a plurality of reference sensor sub-arrays, each including an array of reference sensors, each reference sensor comprising a reference mass suspended over a reference cavity and between two sides of a second frame by a plurality of springs, the reference mass containing a second plurality of thermally isolated MOS (TMOS) transistors, wherein each reference sensor includes a layer reflective to infrared radiation arranged over the second plurality of TMOS transistors.
A sensing device, comprising:
- an integrated circuit substrate including a cavity formed in a first face thereof and a plurality of conductive pads disposed on portions of the first face external to the cavity;
- a frame bonded to the conductive pads;
- a mass suspended over the cavity;
- a plurality of springs extending between the frame and the mass to suspend the mass over the cavity;
- a plurality of thermally isolated MOS transistors disposed within the mass;
- and
- a top cap bonded to the integrated circuit substrate to form within the cavity a sealed chamber enclosing the frame, the mass, and the plurality of springs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.