Apparatus for measuring physical and chemical phenomena

• US 6,255,678 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hiroba Limited
• Original Assignee: Horiba Limited
• Inventors: Mimura, Susumu, Tanabe, Hiroki, Sawada, Kazuaki, Tomita, Katsuhiko, Nakanishi, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US09/085,693
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 257/253, 257/254, 257/414, 257/252
• US Class Current: 257/253
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/005 by electrical means and not provided for in G01L1/06 - G01L1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0098 using semiconductor body comprising at least one PN junction as detecting element
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4148 Integrated circuits therefor, e.g. fabricated by CMOS processing CMOS processing per se H01L21/82

Abstract

Method and equipment easily visualize various physical phenomena or chemical phenomena by simultaneously taking in, accumulating, and transferring data at a plurality of points. Electric charge is injected in potential wells constructed to vary the depth in accord with the magnitude of the physical or chemical quantity, and the physical or chemical quantity is converted into electric charge according to the depth of the potential wells.

Claims

1. Apparatus for measuring physical or chemical phenomena, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of potential wells constructed to be variable in depth in accordance with a magnitude of a physical or a chemical quantity;

wherein when electrical charge is injected in said potential wells, a physical or a chemical quantity is converted into electrical charge in accordance with a depth of said potential wells.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a substrate, said plurality of potential wells disposed within said substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said substrate is a semiconductor substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said semiconductor substrate is a MOS device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensor sections;

each of said plurality of sensor sections including said plurality of potential wells;

wherein said plurality of sensor sections are configured in a two-dimensional array.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an imaging system coupled to an output of said plurality of sensor sections to generate a two-dimensional image.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a charge coupled device coupled to said output of said plurality of sensor sections.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensor sections;

each of said plurality of sensor sections including said plurality of potential wells;

wherein said plurality of sensor sections are configured in a one-dimensional array.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an imaging system coupled to an output of said plurality of sensor sections to generate a one-dimensional image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a charge coupled device coupled to said output of said plurality of sensor sections.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate having a sensor section and an output section;

said plurality of potential wells disposed within said sensor section; and

said output section coupled to said sensor section.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said sensor section includes an electric charge feeder section, an electric charge injection controller section, a sensing section, and a barrier section, wherein said plurality of potential wells are disposed within said sensing section.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said output section includes a floating diffusion, a reset gate, a reset drain, and an output transistor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a source follower circuit coupled to said plurality of potential wells; and

an image output unit to image an output of said source follower circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chemical quantity is pH.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said physical quantity is temperature.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said physical quantity is a magnetic field.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensor sections;

each of said plurality of sensor sections including said plurality of potential wells;

wherein a first portion of said plurality of sensor sections are adapted to measure physical phenomena and a second portion of said plurality of sensor sections are adapted to measure chemical phenomena.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said chemical phenomena includes pH, and said physical phenomena include temperature, magnetic field, and pressure.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate, said plurality of potential wells disposed within said substrate;

a cell containing a sample fluid, wherein said substrate forms a bottom portion of said cell such that said substrate is in direct contact with said sample fluid;

a reference electrode disposed in said cell and directly contacting said sample fluid; and

a power supply coupled to said substrate and said reference electrode.

21. Apparatus for measuring physical or chemical phenomena, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of potential wells constructed to be variable in depth in accordance with a magnitude of a physical or a chemical quantity, said potential wells disposed one-dimensionally;

wherein when electrical charge is injected in said potential wells, a physical or a chemical quantity is converted into electrical charge in accordance with a depth of said potential wells.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said physical phenomena is a magnetic field, and wherein a magnitude b of said magnetic field B is determined in accordance with a variation in depth of said potential wells.

23. Apparatus for measuring physical or chemical phenomena, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of potential wells constructed to be variable in depth in accordance with a magnitude of a physical or a chemical quantity, said potential wells disposed two-dimensionally;

wherein when electrical charge is injected in said potential wells, a physical or a chemical quantity is converted into electrical charge in accordance with a depth of said potential wells.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said physical phenomena is a magnetic field, and wherein a magnitude b of said magnetic field B is determined in accordance with a variation in depth of said potential wells.