Sensor
First Claim
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1. An electromagnetic radiation sensor comprising:
- a first sensor element and a second sensor element formed in a first substrate, anda first cap and a second cap formed in a second substrate, the first and second substrates being arranged relative to each other such that the first cap overlies the first sensor element, and the second cap overlies the second sensor element, thereby defining first and second cells, respectively, wherein the first cell provides an output based on a first response characteristic and the second cell provides an output based on a second response characteristic,wherein the first cap is configured to pass a first amount of an ambient radiation through the first cap,wherein the second cap is configured to pass a second amount of the ambient radiation through the second cap, wherein the second amount of the ambient radiation is a known fraction of the first amount of ambient radiation, andwherein the second amount is less than the first amount, and is greater than zero.
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Abstract
The invention provides a sensor including a first sensor element formed in a first substrate and at least one optical element formed in a second substrate, the first and second substrates being configured relative to one another such that the second substrate forms a cap over the first sensor element, the at least one optical element being configured to guide incident radiation on the cap to the first sensor element. The sensor also includes a reference sensor element whose output can be used to reference the output of the first sensor element.
54 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An electromagnetic radiation sensor comprising:
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a first sensor element and a second sensor element formed in a first substrate, and a first cap and a second cap formed in a second substrate, the first and second substrates being arranged relative to each other such that the first cap overlies the first sensor element, and the second cap overlies the second sensor element, thereby defining first and second cells, respectively, wherein the first cell provides an output based on a first response characteristic and the second cell provides an output based on a second response characteristic, wherein the first cap is configured to pass a first amount of an ambient radiation through the first cap, wherein the second cap is configured to pass a second amount of the ambient radiation through the second cap, wherein the second amount of the ambient radiation is a known fraction of the first amount of ambient radiation, and wherein the second amount is less than the first amount, and is greater than zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A sensor array including a plurality of sensors, each of the sensors having an active sensor element and a reference sensor element, the active sensor element being formed in a first substrate and having an optical element formed in a second substrate, the first and second substrates being configured relative to one another such that the second substrate forms a first cap over the sensor element, the optical element being configured to guide incident ambient radiation through the first cap to the sensing element, the reference sensor element also being formed in the first substrate and having a second cap formed in the second substrate, the first and second substrates being configured relative to one another such that the second cap is located over the reference sensor element, the second cap serving to pass a modified intensity of the incident ambient radiation therethrough to the reference sensor element relative to the intensity of the incident ambient radiation passing through the first cap such that the active and reference sensors have a different response characteristic, wherein the modified intensity is a known fraction of an intensity of the incident ambient radiation,
wherein the modified intensity is less than the intensity of the incident ambient radiation, and is greater than zero.
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20. An electromagnetic radiation sensor fabricated in a semiconductor process, the sensor comprising:
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first and second sensing elements formed in a first substrate, the first and second sensing elements being provided with first and second caps, respectively, defined thereabove, the first and second caps being formed in a second substrate and being mountable onto the first substrate, wherein the first cap formed over the first sensing element allows a transmission of an ambient radiation through the first cap onto the first sensing element, and wherein the second cap formed over the second sensing element partially blocks the transmission of the ambient radiation through the second cap onto the second sensing element so as to pass a reduced intensity of the ambient radiation therethrough onto the second sensing element relative to the intensity of the ambient radiation transmitted through the first cap onto the first sensing element, wherein the reduced intensity is a known fraction of an intensity of the ambient radiation, wherein the reduced intensity of the ambient radiation is greater than zero. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification