Addressable diode isolated thin film cell array

• US 6,483,368 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Inventors: Janson, Siegfried W., Osborn, Jon V., Mayer, Donald C., Fuqua, Peter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schillinger, Laura M
• Application Number:
  US10/081,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 327/565, 327/365, 327/493, 327/504, 257/776, 257/758, 323/285, 323/351, 323/282, 438/132, 438/800, 438/638, 365/46, 365/45, 365/51, 365/54, 365/72, 365/148, 365/174, 365/175
• US Class Current: 327/365
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/95 characterised by starting or ignition means or arrangements safety devices F02K9/38
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/14 using thin-film elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/10 Decoders
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/016 Thin-film circuits

Abstract

An address element, including a polysilicon resistor functioning as a heating element and blocking diode preventing sneak current to unaddressed elements, is selectively addressed using row and column address lines in a thin film structure having a minimum number of address lines and a minimum number of layers. The resistor heater element is well suited for igniting a fuel cell such as a fuel cell in an array of fuel cells disposed in a thin film microthruster.

Claims

1. An array of cells individually addressable by row addressing lines and by column addressing lines, the cell comprising:

A substrate for supporting the array of cells,

A polysilicon layer disposed on the substrate, the polysilicon layer for forming an array of resistors for the respective cells, the polysilicon layer for forming an array of diodes for the respective cells, the polysilicon layer for connecting together the array of resistors and the array of diodes, the polysilicon layer for forming and respectively connecting the row addressing lines to the array of resistors,

An insulating layer disposed on the polysilicon layer for insulating the polysilicon layer, the insulating layer comprising an array of feed throughs extending to the polysilicon layer, and

A conducting layer disposed on the insulating layer for forming the column addressing lines respectively connected to the polysilicon layer through the array of feed throughs for respectively connecting the column addressing lines to the array of diodes, and

A fuel layer comprising an array of fuel packets containing combustible fuel in respective proximity to the array of resistors the array of resistors being respectively heated when conducting current when an ignition voltage is applied across a respective one of the row addressing lines and a respective one of the column addressing films and a respective one cell of the array of cells for igniting a respective one of the array of fuel packets.

2. The array of cells of claim 1, wherein

the polysilicon layer is an N− doped polysilicon layer,

the polysilicon layer comprises an array of N+ doped regions serving to respectively connect the row addressing lines to the array of resistors, and

the polysilicon layer comprises an array of P+ doped regions connected to the conducting layer, the array of P+ doped region interfaces with remaining portions of the N−

polysilicon layer for forming an array of P-N junctions of the array of diodes in the polysilicon layer.

3. The array of cells of claim 1 wherein,

the insulating layer is an oxide layer, and

the conducting layer is a metal layer.

4. The array of cells of claim 1, wherein,

each of the cells comprise multiple elements,

each of the respective feed throughs comprise respective multiple feed throughs in the insulation layer, and

the polysilicon layer comprises multiple pad portions for each of the cells, each of multiple pad portions for supporting the multiple elements, the multiple elements comprise the respective resistor and the respective diode for the respective cell, the respective resistor is formed from respective multiple resistors in the pad portion serving to connect the respective multiple resistors to the respective row addressing line through the pad portion, the respective diode is formed from respective multiple diodes connected to the respective column addressing line of the conducting layer.

5. The array of cells of claim 4 wherein

the multiple elements are arranged in a matrix, and

the conducting layer comprises conducting fingers each connected to a plurality of elements of the multiple elements, the plurality of elements being aligned within the matrix.