PROXIMITY SENSOR

• US 20140183678A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oerlikon Surface Solutions Ag, PfAffikon (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Original Assignee: Oerlikon Trading AG, Trubbach
• Inventors: Keckes, Antal, Schuler, Peter, Hermann, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 10,205,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/433
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0203 Containers; Encapsulations , e.g. encapsulation of photodiodesfor photovoltaic devices H01L31/048; for organic photosensitive devices H10K30/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic proximity sensor having a decorative surface, characterized in that the decorative surface comprises a semiconductor layer, the thickness of which is between 10 nm and 100 nm. This coating imparts a desired metallic appearance to the proximity sensor, without the property thereof as a proximity sensor being lost.

Claims

1. Electronic proximity sensor with a sensor element placed below a decorative surface, characterized in that the decorative surface is coated with a thin semiconductor layer.

2. Electronic proximity sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the semiconductor layer is between 10 nm and 100 nm.

3. Electronic proximity sensor according to one of the claim 1, characterized in that the semiconductor layer comprises silicon as semiconductor material.

4. Electronic proximity sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that the semiconductor layer consists of silicon.

5. Electronic proximity sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the semiconductor layer is a component of a layer system comprising at least one further layer, which is preferably an interference layer system.

6. Electronic proximity sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that the at least one other layer is a SiO2 layer.

7. Electronic proximity sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that the aver system is an alternating layer system.

8. Electronic proximity sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that between the component forming the decorative surface and the semiconductor layer, an intermediary layer is provided which comprises a polymer layer that preferably consists of a UV-hardened lacquer.

9. Electronic proximity sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that as a sealing layer against the environment a polymer coating is provided which preferably consists of a UV-hardened lacquer.

10. Proximity circuit with an electronic proximity sensor according to claim 1.

11. Method for producing an electronic proximity sensor, having the steps of:

providing an electronic proximity sensor having a decorative surface

coating the decorative surface with a semiconductor layer, the thickness of which is between 10 nm and 100 nm, wherein the coating is achieved by means of a vacuum process.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that he vacuum process is preferably a PVD and/or a CVD process.