Sensor package

• US 10,451,490 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Shinya, Shimizu, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Verbitsky, Gail Kaplan
• Application Number:
  US15/553,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20180038740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 374178, 374170, 374179, 374208, 374121, 438 64, 438 55
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/12 using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/015 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/02 using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/028 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 MEMS

Abstract

Provided is a sensor package that measures an internal temperature of a measurement object. A sensor package includes: a package including a bottomed tubular casing and plural leads substantially parallel to each other, each of the leads piercing the bottomed tubular casing; and a MEMS chip including at least one thermopile that measures a temperature difference in an identical direction. The MEMS chip is disposed in an inner bottom surface of the bottomed tubular casing of the package in a posture in which a measurement direction of the temperature difference measured with the thermopile is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of each lead.

Claims

1. A sensor package comprising:

a package comprising a bottomed tubular casing and a plurality of leads substantially parallel to each other, each lead of the plurality of leads piercing the bottomed tubular casing; and

a MEMS chip comprising;

one thermopile that measures a temperature difference in a predetermined direction;

or a plurality of thermopiles each of which measures the temperature difference in the predetermined direction,

wherein the MEMS chip is disposed in an inner bottom surface of the bottomed tubular casing of the package such that a measurement direction of the temperature difference measured with the one thermopile or the plurality of thermopiles is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of each lead of the plurality of leads of the package.

2. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein a bottom of the bottomed tubular casing of the package comprises:

a non-heat transfer portion; and

a heat transfer portion comprising a material having a heat conductivity higher than a heat conductivity of a constituent material of the non-heat transfer portion, and

at least a part of the MEMS chip is located on the heat transfer portion.

3. The sensor package according to claim 2, wherein the heat transfer portion comprises a metal.

4. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein, at a leading end of the plurality of leads outside the bottomed tubular casing, surfaces oriented toward an identical direction are located on an identical plane.

5. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the package is formed by mold forming.

6. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the bottomed tubular casing of the package is coated with a black material.

7. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the MEMS chip comprises a top face comprising the one thermopile or the plurality of thermopiles and a support that supports the top face with respect to the inner bottom surface of the bottomed tubular casing of the package, the support comprising at least one cavity leading to the top face, and

the MEMS chip is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the bottomed tubular casing of the package using an adhesive material such that at least one first region and at least one second region exist in a surface of the support on a side opposite to the inner bottom surface of the bottomed tubular casing of the package, the first region being fixed to the inner bottom surface using the adhesive material, the second region being not fixed to the inner bottom surface using the adhesive material, and such that hot junctions of the one thermopile or the plurality of thermopiles are located in the at least one first region when viewed from an array direction of the MEMS chip and a bottom of the bottomed tubular casing of the package.

8. A sensor package comprising:

a bottomed tubular package comprising a plurality of leads; and

a MEMS chip comprising;

one thermopile that measures a temperature difference in a predetermined direction;

or a plurality of thermopiles each of which measures the temperature difference in the predetermined direction,

wherein the MEMS chip is disposed in an inner bottom surface of the bottomed tubular package such that a measurement direction of the temperature difference measured with the one thermopile or the plurality of thermopiles becomes a direction in which two portions in an inside face of the bottomed tubular package are connected to each other, and an amount of temperature rise caused by inflow of heat from the plurality of leads in the two portions is less than an amount of temperature rise in other portions.