Thermal-type infrared sensor and image forming apparatus

• US 9,500,529 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Noguchi, Hidetaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Marcus
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, MINDY D
• Application Number:
  US14/483,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20150076351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/123 Thermoelectric array
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0225 Shape of the cavity itself or of elements contained in or suspended over the cavity
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/068 by controlling parameters other than temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/12 using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/14 Electrical features thereof

Abstract

A thermal-type infrared sensor includes a thermopile; an electrical conduction path of the thermopile, the conduction path including at least one crossed section in which the conduction path is crossed; a first region that is closed or substantially closed and formed by part of the conduction path, the part of the conduction path including an output section of the conduction path and the at least one crossed section; and a second region that is closed or substantially closed and formed by another part of the conduction path having the at least one crossed section as a boundary. The first region and the second region do not overlap each other.

Claims

1. A thermal-type infrared sensor comprising:

a thermopile;

an electrical conduction path of the thermopile, the conduction path including at least one crossed section in which the conduction path is crossed;

a first region that is closed or substantially closed and formed by part of the conduction path, the part of the conduction path including an output section of the conduction path and the at least one crossed section; and

a second region that is closed or substantially closed and formed by another part of the conduction path having the at least one crossed section as a boundary,

wherein the first region and the second region do not overlap each other.

2. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region and a current in a second direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the second region, the first direction and the second direction being opposite directions.

3. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein an area inside the first region and an area inside the second region are equal.

4. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the conduction path includes a plurality of crossed sections in which the conduction path is crossed, and

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region, and

the second region includes a third region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in the first direction and a fourth region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.

5. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 4, wherein the sum of an area inside the first region and an area inside the third region is equal to an area inside the fourth region.

6. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation structure and an infrared absorption portion,

wherein the heat insulation structure includes a substrate portion and a thin film portion thinner than the substrate portion,

the infrared absorption portion is arranged on the thin film portion of the heat insulation structure,

the thermopile includes a plurality of first thermopile materials and a plurality of second thermopile materials so that the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are connected alternately in series, and

the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are arranged over the thin film portion and the substrate portion.

7. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 6, wherein either or both of the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are a polysilicon material.

8. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein in a region surrounded by the conduction path of the thermopile, a conductive material is arranged in a manner that an electrical short-circuit is not caused in the conduction path of the thermopile.

9. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 8, wherein the conductive material is electrically connected to the thermopile.

10. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 8, wherein the conductive material is formed of a material to reflect infrared.

11. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region and a current in a second direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the second region, the first direction and the second direction being opposite directions, and

an area inside the first region and an area inside the second region are equal.

12. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation structure and an infrared absorption portion, wherein

the heat insulation structure includes a substrate portion and a thin film portion thinner than the substrate portion,

the infrared absorption portion is arranged on the thin film portion of the heat insulation structure,

the thermopile includes a plurality of first thermopile materials and a plurality of second thermopile materials so that the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are connected alternately in series,

the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are arranged over the thin film portion and the substrate portion, and

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region and a current in a second direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the second region, the first direction and the second direction being opposite directions.

13. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation structure and an infrared absorption portion, wherein

the heat insulation structure includes a substrate portion and a thin film portion thinner than the substrate portion,

the infrared absorption portion is arranged on the thin film portion of the heat insulation structure,

the thermopile includes a plurality of first thermopile materials and a plurality of second thermopile materials so that the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are connected alternately in series,

the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are arranged over the thin film portion and the substrate portion, and

an area inside the first region and an area inside the second region are equal.

14. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation structure and an infrared absorption portion, wherein

the heat insulation structure includes a substrate portion and a thin film portion thinner than the substrate portion,

the infrared absorption portion is arranged on the thin film portion of the heat insulation structure,

the thermopile includes a plurality of first thermopile materials and a plurality of second thermopile materials so that the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are connected alternately in series,

the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are arranged over the thin film portion and the substrate portion,

the conduction path includes a plurality of crossed sections in which the conduction path is crossed, and

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region, and

the second region includes a third region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in the first direction and a fourth region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.

15. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation structure and an infrared absorption portion, wherein

the heat insulation structure includes a substrate portion and a thin film portion thinner than the substrate portion,

the infrared absorption portion is arranged on the thin film portion of the heat insulation structure,

the thermopile includes a plurality of first thermopile materials and a plurality of second thermopile materials so that the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are connected alternately in series,

the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are arranged over the thin film portion and the substrate portion,

the conduction path includes a plurality of crossed sections in which the conduction path is crossed, and

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region,

the second region includes a third region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in the first direction and a fourth region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, and

the sum of an area inside the first region and an area inside the third region is equal to an area inside the fourth region.

16. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation structure and an infrared absorption portion, wherein

the heat insulation structure includes a substrate portion and a thin film portion thinner than the substrate portion,

the infrared absorption portion is arranged on the thin film portion of the heat insulation structure,

the thermopile includes a plurality of first thermopile materials and a plurality of second thermopile materials so that the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are connected alternately in series,

the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are arranged over the thin film portion and the substrate portion,

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region and a current in a second direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the second region, the first direction and the second direction being opposite directions, and

an area inside the first region and an area inside the second region are equal.

17. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region and a current in a second direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the second region, the first direction and the second direction being opposite directions, and

in a region surrounded by the conduction path of the thermopile, a conductive material is arranged in a manner that an electrical short-circuit is not caused in the conduction path of the thermopile.

18. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the conduction path includes a plurality of crossed sections in which the conduction path is crossed, and

when a magnetic field passes through the conduction path of the thermopile, a current in a first direction due to the magnetic field flows in the conduction path of the first region,

the second region includes a third region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in the first direction and a fourth region in which a current due to the magnetic field flows in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, and

in a region surrounded by the conduction path of the thermopile, a conductive material is arranged in a manner that an electrical short-circuit is not caused in the conduction path of the thermopile.

19. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation structure and an infrared absorption portion, wherein

the heat insulation structure includes a substrate portion and a thin film portion thinner than the substrate portion,

the infrared absorption portion is arranged on the thin film portion of the heat insulation structure,

the thermopile includes a plurality of first thermopile materials and a plurality of second thermopile materials so that the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are connected alternately in series,

the first thermopile materials and the second thermopile materials are arranged over the thin film portion and the substrate portion, and

in a region surrounded by the conduction path of the thermopile, a conductive material is arranged in a manner that an electrical short-circuit is not caused in the conduction path of the thermopile.

20. An image forming apparatus comprising the thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1.

21. The thermal-type infrared sensor according to claim 1, wherein a same current flows throughout the part of the conduction path that forms the closed or substantially closed first region, and a same current flows throughout said another part of the conduction path that forms the closed or substantially closed second region.