Wireless voltage sensing device
First Claim
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1. A voltage sensing apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having one or more probe areas each having a length of 2000 micrometers or less and a width of 50 micrometers or less;
one or more inputs, comprising one or more metal contacts on the one or more probe areas, wherein the one or more metal contacts sense voltage comprising one or more voltage waveforms and in response to one or more stimuli;
an output, comprising a laser on the substrate, wherein the laser can transmit one or more signals;
circuitry, on the substrate, electrically connecting and interfacing the one or more inputs to the output, wherein the circuitry can convert the one or more voltage waveforms into the one or more signals;
a power module on the substrate and electrically connected to the circuitry, wherein the power module can provide power to the circuitry and the laser; and
wherein the circuitry, the probe areas, the power module, and the laser are within a surface area of the substrate of 4000 micrometers by 1000 micrometers or less.
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Abstract
A voltage sensing apparatus on a semiconductor substrate, including one or more inputs comprising metal contacts, an output comprising a laser transmitter, circuitry electrically connecting and interfacing the inputs to the output; and a power module. A method of fabricating the apparatus is also described.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A voltage sensing apparatus, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having one or more probe areas each having a length of 2000 micrometers or less and a width of 50 micrometers or less; one or more inputs, comprising one or more metal contacts on the one or more probe areas, wherein the one or more metal contacts sense voltage comprising one or more voltage waveforms and in response to one or more stimuli; an output, comprising a laser on the substrate, wherein the laser can transmit one or more signals; circuitry, on the substrate, electrically connecting and interfacing the one or more inputs to the output, wherein the circuitry can convert the one or more voltage waveforms into the one or more signals; a power module on the substrate and electrically connected to the circuitry, wherein the power module can provide power to the circuitry and the laser; and wherein the circuitry, the probe areas, the power module, and the laser are within a surface area of the substrate of 4000 micrometers by 1000 micrometers or less. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of fabricating a voltage sensing device, comprising:
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providing semiconductor substrate comprising silicon, having one or more probe areas each having a length of 2000 micrometers or less and a width of 50 micrometers or less; providing one or more inputs comprising one or more metal contacts on the probe areas, wherein the one or more metal contacts sense voltage comprising one or more voltage waveforms in response to one or more stimuli external to the substrate; providing circuitry on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the circuitry interfaces the inputs to an output and includes; (i) a voltage to current converter circuit on the substrate and electrically connected to the metal contacts, wherein the voltage to current converter circuit converts the one or more voltage waveforms into one or more current waveforms, (ii) a modulator circuit on the substrate and electrically connected to the voltage to current converter circuit, wherein the modulator circuit modulates the one or more current waveforms to form one or more modulated waveforms; providing the output comprising a laser on the semiconductor substrate, electrically connected to the modulator circuit, wherein the laser transmits the modulated waveform off the substrate; and providing a power module on the semiconductor substrate and in electrical connection with the circuitry, wherein the power module provides power to the laser and the circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A voltage sensing apparatus, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having a probe area having a length of 2000 micrometers or less and a width of 50 micrometers or less; a metal contact on the probe area, wherein the metal contact senses voltage, producing a voltage waveform in response to a stimulus; circuitry comprising; a current mirror that converts the voltage waveform into a current waveform; and current starved delay elements configured in a ring oscillator geometry in a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), the current starved delay elements generating a pulse waveform in response to the current waveform and control voltages; and wherein the pulse waveform has a frequency corresponding to a magnitude of the voltage waveform; and a laser that transmits the pulse waveform to an external reader for demodulation so that the voltage waveform can be read; and a power module on the substrate and electrically connected to the circuitry, wherein the power module can provide power to the circuitry and the laser; and wherein the circuitry, the probe area, the power module, and the laser are within a surface area of the substrate of 4000 micrometers by 1000 micrometers or less. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification