Infrared sensor
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsInao Toyoda, Kazuaki Hamamoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An infrared sensor includes a concavity made on a side of a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of sensing areas formed in a thin film area on the back side of the bottom of the concavity. Groups of two thermocouples, three thermocouples and four thermocouples reside in a sensing area in the central part of the thin film area, in another sensing area adjacent the central sensing area and in yet other sensing areas adjacent to the central sensing area, respectively, to compensate for the heterogeneity of heat transfer in the thin film area. Therefore, sensitivity loss is suppressed in the sensing area having a boundary with the substrate. More specifically, the difference in sensitivity between the sensing areas is reduced.
Claims17
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate with a concavity;
- a plurality of thermocouples including a wiring member and an electrode member formed in a thin film area on a back side of a bottom of the concavity;
- an infrared absorbing film formed on the thermocouples;
- and
- a plurality of sensing areas including the thermocouples and the infrared absorbing film,
- wherein the thermocouples in the sensing area in a periphery of the thin film area outnumber the thermocouples in the sensing area in a central part of the thin film area.
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate with a concavity on the substrate;
- a plurality of thermocouples including a wiring member and an electrode member formed in a thin film area on a back side of a bottom of the concave;
- an infrared absorbing film formed on the thermocouples;
- and
- a plurality of sensing areas including the thermocouples and the infrared absorbing film,
- wherein the infrared absorbing film of the sensing area in a periphery of the thin film area is larger than that in the sensing area in a central part of the thin film area.
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate with a concavity on the substrate;
- a plurality of thermocouples including a wiring member and an electrode member formed in a thin film area on a back side of a bottom of the concave;
- an infrared absorbing film formed on the thermocouples;
- and
- a plurality of sensing areas including the thermocouples and the infrared absorbing film,
- wherein sensitivity of the sensing area in a periphery of the thin film area is greater than that of the sensing area in a central part of the thin film area.
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a substrate having a concavity on a first side;
- a silicon oxide film located adjacent to the concavity;
- a plurality of thermocouples located on a side of the silicon oxide film opposite to the concavity;
- wherein the thermocouple is comprised of a polysilicon portion and an aluminum portion;
- a dielectric film located on a side of the thermocouples opposite the silicon oxide film,
- wherein the dielectric forms a layer over the thermocouples and makes contact with the silicon oxide layer between the thermocouples;
- and
- an infrared absorbing film covering the thermocouples with the dielectric film sandwiched in-between the infrared absorbing film and the thermocouples,
- wherein the thermocouples and the infrared absorbing film comprise a sensing area, the sensing area located in a peripheral portion of a thin film area and in a central portion of a thin film area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.