Infrared imager using room temperature capacitance sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A transducer formed on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an intergrated circuit comprising:
- a first electrically conductive plate formed on the substrate substantially parallel to a second electrically conductive plate along the xy plane;
a dielectric layer formed on the first plate, the first and second electrically conductive plates and the dielectric layer forming a capacitor;
a bi-material element comprising a top layer and a bottom layer; and
a support element having a first side which is coupled to said bi-material element and a second side which is coupled to the substrate, the support element anchoring the bi-material element and the second electrically conductive plate to the substrate,wherein the bi-material element and the second electrically conductive plate form a deflectable member.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An infrared imager includes an array of capacitance sensors that operate at room temperature. Each infrared capacitance sensor includes a deflectable first plate which expands due to absorbed thermal radiation relative to a non-deflectable second plate. In one embodiment each infrared capacitance sensor is composed of a bi-material strip which changes the position of one plate of a sensing capacitor in response to temperature changes due to absorbed incident thermal radiation. The bi-material strip is composed of two materials with a large difference in thermal expansion coefficients.
-
Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A transducer formed on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an intergrated circuit comprising:
-
a first electrically conductive plate formed on the substrate substantially parallel to a second electrically conductive plate along the xy plane; a dielectric layer formed on the first plate, the first and second electrically conductive plates and the dielectric layer forming a capacitor; a bi-material element comprising a top layer and a bottom layer; and a support element having a first side which is coupled to said bi-material element and a second side which is coupled to the substrate, the support element anchoring the bi-material element and the second electrically conductive plate to the substrate, wherein the bi-material element and the second electrically conductive plate form a deflectable member. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. An infrared sensor formed on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit comprising:
-
a reference capacitor comprising a top electrically conductive plate and a bottom electrically conductive plate; a dielectric layer formed on the top electrically conductive plate of the reference capacitor; a sense capacitor comprising a top electrically conductive plate and a bottom electrically conductive plate, said top electrically conductive plate being formed above said dielectric layer and said bottom electrically conductive plate being the top electrically conductive plate of the reference capacitor; a bi-material element comprising a top layer and a bottom layer; and a support element having a first side which is coupled to said bi-material element and a second side which is coupled to the substrate for anchoring the bi-material element and the top electrically conductive plate of the sense capacitor to the substrate, wherein the bi-material element and the top electrically conductive plate of the sense capacitor form a deflectable member. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An infrared imager array including a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit, comprising:
-
a plurality of transducers arranged in rows and columns, each of said transducers separately comprising; a first electrically conductive plate formed on the substrate substantially parallel to a second electrically conductive plate along the xy plane; a dielectric layer formed on the first plate, the first and second electrically conductive plates and the dielectric layer forming a capacitor; a bi-material element comprising a top layer and a bottom layer; and a support element having a first side coupled to the bi-material element and a second side coupled to the substrate for anchoring the bi-material element and the second electrically conductive plate to the substrate, wherein the bi-material element and the second electrically conductive plate form a deflectable member; and the integrated circuit comprises a readout circuit comprising a plurality of source follower amplifiers, each source follower amplifier respectively coupled to the second electrically conductive plate of each transducer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
-
13. An infrared imager array including a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit, comprising:
-
a plurality of infrared sensors arranged in rows and columns, each of said infrared sensors separately comprising; a reference capacitor comprising a top electrically conductive plate and a bottom electrically conductive plate; a dielectric layer formed on the top electrically conductive plate of the reference capacitor; a sense capacitor comprising a top electrically conductive plate and a bottom electrically conductive plate, said top electrically conductive plate being formed above said dielectric layer and said bottom electrically conductive plate being the top electrically conductive plate of the reference capacitor; a bi-material element comprising a top layer and a bottom layer; and a support element, a first side contacting the bi-material element and a second side contacting the substrate for anchoring the bi-material element and the top electrically conductive plate of the sense capacitor to the substrate, wherein the bi-material element and the top electrically conductive plate of the sense capacitor form a deflectable member; and the integrated circuit comprising a readout circuit comprising at least a plurality of source follower amplifiers, each source follower amplifier respectively coupled to the top electrically conductive plate of each sense capacitor. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of fabricating a transducer on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit comprising the steps of:
-
forming a first electrically conductive plate on the surface of the integrated circuit substrate; depositing a dielectric layer; depositing a release layer over the dielectric layer; forming a connection layer over a first portion of the release layer; forming a bi-material element over a portion of the connection layer and over a second portion of the release layer; forming a second electrically conductive plate over a third portion of the release layer; forming a via through the release layer and the dielectric layer, said via contacting the connection layer and avoiding contact with the bi-material element; forming a support element over the connection layer and the via and contacting the bi-material element; and chemically removing the release layer.
-
-
17. A method of fabricating an infrared sensor on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit comprising the steps of:
-
forming a first capacitive electrically conductive plate on the surface of the integrated circuit substrate; forming an insulating layer over the first capacitive electrically conductive plate; forming a second capacitive electrically conductive plate over the insulating layer; depositing a dielectric layer; depositing a release layer over the dielectric layer; forming a connection layer over a first portion of the release layer; forming a bi-material element over a portion of the connection layer and over a second portion of the release layer; forming a third capacitive electrically conductive plate over a third portion of the release layer; forming a via through the release layer and the dielectric layer, said via contacting the connection layer and avoiding contact with the bi-material element; forming a support element over the connection layer and the via and contacting the bi-material element; and chemically removing the release layer.
-
-
18. A transducer formed on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit comprising:
-
a first electrically conductive plate formed on the substrate substantially parallel to a second electrically conductive plate along the xy plane; a dielectric layer formed on the first plate, the first and second electrically conductive plates and the dielectric layer forming a capacitor; a bi-material element comprising a top layer and a bottom layer; and a support element, a first side contacting said bi-material element and a second side contacting the substrate for anchoring the bi-material element, and the second electrically conductive plate to the substrate, wherein the bi-material element and the second electrically conductive plate form a deflectable member.
-
-
19. A method of forming an image of detected radiation, comprising the steps of:
-
providing an array of microcantilevers within a monolithic integrated circuit formed within a substrate; exposing said array of microcantilevers to the radiation, each microcantilever of said array of microcantilevers having at least one physical property affected by radiation; monitoring a radiation-induced change in the at least one physical property of the microcantilevers to determine respective magnitudes of the change; and determining respective measures of radiation from the magnitudes of the radiation-induced changes in the at least one physical property of the microcantilevers to form the image of the detected radiation. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
-
21. A method of detecting radiation, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a microcantilever within a monolithic integrated circuit formed within a substrate, said microcantilever being thermally isolated from said substrate; exposing said microcantilever to a source of radiation, said microcantilever having at least one physical property affected by radiation; monitoring a radiation-induced change in the at least one physical property of the microcantilever to determine a magnitude of the change; and determining a measure of the radiation from the magnitude of the radiation-induced changes in the at least one physical property of the microcantilever. - View Dependent Claims (22)
-
-
23. An imager apparatus formed on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit, comprising:
-
an array of reference capacitors, each comprising a top electrically conductive plate and a bottom electrically conductive plate; a dielectric layer formed on the top electrically conductive plate of each reference capacitor of said array of reference capacitors; an array of sense capacitors corresponding to said array of reference capacitors, each sense capacitor comprising a top electrically conductive plate and a bottom electrically conductive plate, said top electrically conductive plate being formed above said dielectric layer and said bottom electrically conductive plate being the top electrically conductive plate of the corresponding reference capacitor of said array of reference capacitors; an array of bi-material elements corresponding to said array of sense capacitors, each bi-material element comprising a top layer and a bottom layer, said bottom layer forming the top electrically conductive plate of the corresponding sense capacitor of said array of sense capacitors; an absorber element formed on a portion of the top electrically conductive plate of each sense capacitor of said array of sense capacitors; a thermal conduction layer connecting the top electrically conductive plate of each sense capacitor of said array of sense capacitors to the corresponding bi-material elements of said array of bi-material elements; and an array of thermal isolation support elements, each having a first side coupled to the corresponding bi-material element of said array of bi-material elements and a second side coupled to the substrate for anchoring the bi-material element, the absorber element, the top electrically conductive plate of the corresponding sense capacitor and the thermal conduction layer to the substrate, wherein an array of deflectable members is formed, each deflectable member including the bi-material element of said array of bi-material elements, the top electrically conductive plate of the sense capacitor of said array of sense capacitors, the absorber element, and the thermal conduction layer, said array of deflectable members cooperating to form an imager.
-
-
24. An array of sensors which detect radiation in response to a radiation-induced change in each sensor of said array of sensors, comprising:
-
an array of microcantilevers within a monolithic integrated circuit formed within a substrate, each microcantilever including a base coupling said microcantilever to said substrate, a thermal isolation element isolating said microcantilever from said substrate, and at least one physical property; and means for determining a measure of said radiation-induced change; wherein said radiation-induced change comprises a change in the at least one physical property of the microcantilevers. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A sensor array formed on a monolithic integrated circuit for detecting radiation, each sensor comprising:
-
a microcantilever including a microcantilever substrate coupled to a base; and a metal film bonded in confronting relationship to the microcantilever substrate to form a bi-material element; wherein the microcantilever is thermally isolated from said base. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
-
37. A sensor array formed on a monolithic integrated circuit for detecting radiation, each sensor comprising:
-
a microcantilever including a microcantilever substrate coupled to a base; a metal film bonded in confronting relationship to the microcantilever substrate to form a bi-material element; and a sense capacitor having two plates, wherein said metal film forms one of said two plates.
-
-
38. A method for fabricating an imager including an array of transducers, on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:
-
forming an array of first electrically conductive plates on the surface of the integrated circuit substrate, each first electrically conductive plate corresponding to a transducer of said array of transducers; depositing a dielectric layer on said array of first electrically conductive plates; depositing a release layer over the dielectric layer, said release layer forming a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, each over each corresponding first electrically conducting plate of a transducer of said array of transducers; forming an array of connection layers corresponding to said array of transducers, each connection layer disposed over the first portion of the release layer of a corresponding transducer of said array of transducers; forming an array of bi-material elements corresponding to said array of transducers, each bi-material element formed over a portion of the connection layer and over the second portion of the release layer, of a corresponding transducer of said array of transducers; forming an array of second electrically conductive plates corresponding to said array of transducers, each second electrically conductive plate formed over the third portion of the release layer of a corresponding transducer of said array of transducers; forming an array of vias corresponding to said array of transducers, each via extending through the release layer and the dielectric layer, contacting the connection layer, and avoiding contact with the bi-material element of a corresponding transducer of said array of transducers; forming an array of absorber layers corresponding to said array of transducers, each absorber layer formed over the second electrically conductive plate of a corresponding transducer of said array of transducers; forming an array of thermal conduction layers corresponding to said array of transducers, each thermal conduction layer disposed between the second electrically conductive plate and the bi-material element of a corresponding transducer of said array of transducers; forming an array of thermal isolation support elements corresponding to said array of transducers, each thermal isolation support element formed over the connection layer and the via and contacting the bi-material element of a corresponding transducer of said array of transducers; and chemically removing the release layer.
-
-
39. A method of fabricating an imager including an array of infrared sensors on a monolithic semiconductor integrated circuit substrate that contains an integrated circuit, said method comprising the steps of:
-
forming an array of first capacitive electrically conductive plates corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, on the surface of the integrated circuit substrate; forming an insulating layer over each first capacitive electrically conductive plate of said array of first capacitive electrically conductive plates; forming an array of second capacitive electrically conductive plates over the insulating layer, each second capacitive electrically conductive plate corresponding to an infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; depositing a dielectric layer over said each second capacitive electrically conductive plate of said array of second capacitive electrically conductive plates; depositing a release layer over the dielectric layer, said release layer including a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, each over each corresponding second capacitive electrically conductive plate of an infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; forming an array of connection layers corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, each connection layer formed over the first portion of the release layer of a corresponding infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; forming an array of bi-material elements corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, each bi-material element formed over a portion of a connection layer and over the second portion of the release layer of a corresponding infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; forming an array of third capacitive electrically conductive plates corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, each third capacitive electrically conductive plate formed over the third portion of the release layer of a corresponding infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; forming an array of vias corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, each via extending through the release layer and the dielectric layer, contacting the connection layer and avoiding contacting with the bi-material element of a corresponding infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; forming an array of absorber layers corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, each absorber layer formed over the third capacitive electrically conductive plate of a corresponding infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; forming an array of thermal conduction layers corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, each thermal conduction layer disposed between the third capacitive electrically conductive plate and the bi-material element of a corresponding infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; forming an array of thermal isolation support elements corresponding to said array of infrared sensors, each thermal isolation support element formed over the connection layer and the via and contacting the bi-material element of a corresponding infrared sensor of said array of infrared sensors; and chemically removing the release layer.
-
Specification