Sensor element with small area light detecting section of bridge structure

• US 6,218,667 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Seiichi, Suzuki, Toshifumi, Nonaka, Ken-Ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Israel, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US09/150,330
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 250/353, 250/349, 250/332
• US Class Current: 250/353
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/023 Particular leg structure or construction or shape; Nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/20 using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02325 the optical elements not being integrated nor being directly associated with the device

Abstract

A sensor element includes a light detecting section (2), a wiring section and a microlens section (7, 8). The light detecting section (2) is formed to be spaced from a substrate (1) to detect an incident light. The wiring section is composed of leg sections (3, 4) and outputting sections (11, 12) formed to be spaced from the substrate in a peripheral portion of the light detecting section. The wiring section connects the detecting result of the light detecting section to patterns on the substrate. The microlens section is formed to be spaced from the light detecting section to collect and output the incident light to the light detecting section. An area of the light detecting section is equal to or smaller than ¼ of an area of the sensor element. The sensor element may further include a reflecting film formed under the light detecting section to reflect the incident light which passes through the light detecting section.

Claims

1. An infrared sensor having a bridge structure, the sensor comprising:

a substrate, a light detecting section spaced from said substrate and having a resonance structure in which infrared rays passing through the light detecting section are reflected and re-input to the light detecting section, and a microlens having characteristics to collect incident infrared rays and to output the collected infrared rays to the light detecting section in a perpendicular direction thereto.

2. An infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein the microlens is provided spaced from the light detecting section.

3. An infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein an infrared ray reflecting section of said resonance structure is provided under the light detecting section to reflect the infrared rays which have passed through the light detecting section.

4. An infrared sensor according to claim 1, further including outputting sections disposed in a periphery of the light detecting section for outputting a detection result of the light detecting section.

5. An infrared sensor according to claim 4, wherein each said outputting section surrounds said light detecting section by at least ½

turn.

6. An infrared sensor according to claim 3, wherein a reflecting surface of said infrared ray reflecting section is spaced from said light detecting section by a distance 1/λ

, where λ

is a central wavelength of the incident infrared rays.

7. An infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein said microlens includes a lens substrate for transmitting the incident infrared rays and a lens provided on the lens substrate to collect the incident infrared rays.

8. An infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein said microlens includes a first curved surface to collect the incident infrared rays substantially in parallel, and a second curved surface to output the collected infrared rays as a substantially parallel light.

9. An infrared sensor according to claim 8, wherein a radius of curvature of said first curved surface is at least as large as a radius of curvature of said second curved surface.

19. An infrared sensor according to claim 4, further including a reinforcement step provided along a longitudinal direction of at least one of the leg sections.

10. An infrared sensor having a bridge structure, the sensor comprising:

a substrate, a light detecting section spaced from said substrate and having a resonance structure in which infrared rays passing through the light detecting section are reflected and re-input to the light detecting section, and a microlens having characteristics to collect incident infrared rays and to output the collected infrared rays to the light detecting section in a perpendicular direction thereto,

said microlens including a first curved surface to collect the incident infrared rays substantially in parallel, and a second curved surface to output the collected infrared rays as a substantially parallel light, and

said microlens has a laminate structure of a plurality of layers, an upper surface of an uppermost layer of said laminate structure is said first curved surface, and a bottom surface of a lowermost layer of said laminate structure is said second curved surface.

11. An infrared sensor according to claim 10, wherein the microlens is provided spaced from the light detecting section.

12. An infrared sensor according to claim 10, wherein an infrared ray reflecting section of said resonance structure is provided under the light reflecting section to reflect the infrared rays which have passed through the light detecting section to reflect the infrared rays which have passed through the light detecting section.

13. An infrared sensor having a bridge structure, the sensor comprising:

a substrate, a light detecting section spaced from said substrate and having a resonance structure in which infrared rays passing through the light detecting section are reflected and re-input to the light detecting section, and a microlens having characteristics to collect incident infrared rays and to output the collected infrared rays to the light detecting section in a perpendicular direction thereto,

said microlens including a first curved surface to collect the incident infrared rays substantially in parallel, and a second curved surface to output the collected infrared rays as a substantially parallel light, and

said microlens including a refracting layer having said first and second curved surfaces, and a lens substrate connected to the refracting layer.

14. An infrared sensor according to claim 13, wherein said lens substrate has a curved surface corresponding to said second curved surface for engaging therewith, and a flat surface opposite to said substrate curved surface for outputting the collected infrared rays to the light detecting section.

15. An infrared sensor according to claim 13, wherein said refracting layer and said lens substrate have different refractive indexes.

16. An infrared sensor according to claim 13, wherein the microlens is provided spaced from the light detecting section.

17. An infrared sensor according to claim 13, wherein an infrared ray reflecting section of said resonance structure is provided under the light reflecting section to reflect the infrared rays which have passed through the light detecting section to reflect the infrared rays which have passed through the light detecting section.

18. An infrared sensor of a non-cooling type and having a bridge structure, the sensor comprising:

a substrate, a light detecting section spaced from said substrate and supported on the substrate by leg sections, and a microlens provided above the light detecting section, an area of the light detecting section to which infrared rays collected by the microlens are irradiated being equal to or less than ½

of a whole area which is spaced from the substrate.

20. An infrared sensor according to claim 18, further including outputting sections disposed in a periphery of the light detecting section for outputting a detection result of the light detecting section.

21. An infrared sensor according to claim 20, wherein each said outputting section surrounds said light detecting section by at least ½

turn.

22. An infrared sensor according to claim 18, wherein said microlens includes a lens substrate for transmitting the incident infrared rays and a lens provided on the lens substrate to collect the incident infrared rays.

23. An infrared sensor according to claim 18, wherein said microlens includes a first curved surface to collect the incident infrared rays substantially in parallel, and a second curved surface to output the collected infrared rays as a substantially parallel light.

24. An infrared sensor according to claim 23, wherein said microlens has a laminate structure of a plurality of layers, an upper surface of an uppermost layer of said laminate structure is said first curved surface, and a bottom surface of a lowermost layer of said laminate structure is said second curved surface.

25. An infrared sensor according to claim 23, wherein said microlens includes a refracting layer having said first and second curved surfaces, and a lens substrate connected to the refracting layer.

26. An infrared sensor according to claim 25, wherein said lens substrate has a curved surface corresponding to said second curved surface for engaging therewith, and a flat surface opposite to said substrate curved surface for outputting the collected infrared rays to the light detecting section.

27. An infrared sensor according to claim 25, wherein said refracting layer and said lens substrate have different refractive indexes.

28. An infrared sensor according to claim 18, wherein said light detecting section includes a resist pattern composed of a material having a resistivity in a range of 0.5-0.05 Ω

cm.

29. An infrared sensor having a bridge structure, the sensor comprising:

a substrate, a light detecting section spaced from said substrate and having a resonance structure in which infrared rays passing through the light detecting section are reflected and re-input to the light detecting section, and a microlens having characteristics to collect incident infrared rays and to output the collected infrared rays to the light detecting section in a perpendicular direction thereto,

said light detecting section including a resist pattern composed of a material having a resistivity in a range of 0.5-0.05 Ω

cm.

30. An infrared sensor according to claim 29, wherein the microlens is provided spaced from the light detecting section.

31. An infrared sensor according to claim 29, wherein an infrared ray reflecting section of said resonance structure is provided under the light reflecting section to reflect the infrared rays which have passed through the light detecting section to reflect the infrared rays which have passed through the light detecting section.