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US 4,744,246 AGranted
Flow sensor on insulator
OwnerHeinz H. Bustainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow sensor on a thermally insulating substrate is provided with improved thermal conductance and ruggedness to hostile environments. The flow sensor includes a pn junction temperature sensing element on the substrate, a layer of dielectric material, which provides electric isolation and physical protection, covering the pn junction element, and a thin film heating element covering the dielectric layer and being in close thermal contact with the pn junction element.
Claims23
A flow sensor comprising:
- a thermally insulating substrate;
- a temperature sensing element disposed on said substrate;
- and
- a thin film heating element disposed on said temperature sensing element and being in close thermal contact with and electrically isolated from said temperature sensing element;
- wherein said temperature sensing element includes a pn junction having a p-doped region and a n-doped region positioned laterally on said substrate and a junction between the p-doped and the n-doped regions;
- and
- wherein said heating element is positioned over said junction.
4 more elements
A flow sensor comprising:
- a thermally insulating substrate;
- a plurality of temperature sensing elements disposed on said substrate and being spaced apart from one another;
- and
- a thin film heating element disposed on said temperature sensing elements and being in close thermal contact with and electrically isolated from each of said temperature sensing elements;
- wherein each of said temperature sensing elements includes a pn junction having a p-doped region and a n-doped region positioned laterally on the substrate and a junction between said p-doped and said n-doped regions;
- and
- wherein said heating element is positioned over said junction.
4 more elements
A flow sensor comprising:
- a thermally insulating substrate;
- an upstream sensor disposed on said substrate;
- wherein said upstream sensor comprises a plurality of upstream temperature sensing elements spaced apart from one another;
- and
- an upstream thin film heating element disposed on said upstream temperature sensing elements and being in close thermal contact with an electrically isolated from each of said upstream temperature sensing elements;
- and
- a downstream sensor disposed on said substrate and spaced apart from said upstream sensor;
- wherein said downstream sensor comprises a plurality of downstream temperature sensing elements spaced apart from one another;
- and
- a downstream thin film heating element disposed on said downstream temperature sensing elements and being in close thermal contact with and electrically isolated from each of said downstream sensing elements;
- wherein each of said upstream and said downstream sensing elements includes a pn junction having a p-doped region and a n-doped region positioned laterally on said substrate and a junction between said p-doped and said n-doped regions;
- and
- wherein each of said heating elements is positioned over its respective temperature sensing elements.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.