Sub-kelvin resistance thermometer

• US 5,141,334 A
• Filed: 09/24/1991
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Castles, Stephen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUTIERREZ, DIEGO F
• Application Number:
  US07/765,070
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 374/178, 374/185, 338/25, 338/22 SD, 357/28
• US Class Current: 374/178
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/223 characterised by the shape of the resistive element

Abstract

A device capable of accurate temperature measurement down to 0.01° K. of an object whose temperature is to be measured consisting of a heat sink wafer a first conducting pad bonded near one end of the heat sink wafer and a second conducting pad bonded near the other end of the heat sink wafer, an oblong doped semiconductor crystal such as germanium, the oblong doped semiconductor crystal has a third conducting pad bonded on its top surface and a fourth conducting pad bonded on its bottom surface with the oblong doped semiconductor crystal bonded to the heat sink wafer by having the fourth conducting pad bonded to the first conducting pad, a wire bonded between the second and third conducting pads, and current and voltage applying wires bonded to the first and second conducting pads whereby the change in resistance of the oblong doped semiconductor crystal indicates the temperature of an object whose temperature is to be measured.

Claims

1. A device used in accurate temperature measurement of an object comprising:

a heat sink wafer;

a first conducting pad near one end of said heat sink wafer and a second conducting pad near the other end of said heat sink wafer;

an oblong doped semiconductor crystal;

said oblong doped semiconductor crystal having a third conducting pad covering or nearly covering its top surface and a fourth conducting pad covering or nearly covering its bottom surface;

said oblong doped semiconductor crystal affixed to said heat sink wafer by having said fourth conducting pad affixed to said first conducting pad;

conducting means between said second and third conducting pads; and

current and voltage applying means communicating with said first and second conducting pads whereby the change in resistance of said oblong doped semiconductor crystal is used to facilitate the temperature measurement of said object.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said oblong doped semiconductor crystal comprises a germanium crystal.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said germanium crystal has a resistance between 100 ohms and 100,000 ohms at a temperature between 0.01°

K. and 1°

K.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said oblong doped semiconductor crystal comprises a silicon crystal.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said oblong doped semiconductor crystal comprises a gallium arsenide crystal.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said heat sink wafer comprises a sapphire crystal.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said heat sink wafer comprises a silicon crystal.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said heat sink wafer comprises a metallic object having an expansion coefficient approximating that of sapphire.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said first, second, third and fourth conducting pads are gold conducting pads.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said gold conducting pads are affixed by sputtering.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said conducting means between said second and third conducting pads comprises a wire bonded to said second and third conducting pads.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said current and voltage applying means communicating with said first and second conducting pads comprises a first pair of wires bonded to and emanating from said first conducting pad and a second pair of wires bonded to and emanating from said second conducting pad.