Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
  • G01J5/00—Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry
  • G01J5/10—Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry using electric radiation detectors
  • G01J5/20—Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry using electric radiation detectors using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
  • G01J1/00—Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter
  • G01J1/42—Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter using electric radiation detectors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
  • H01L31/08—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof in which radiation controls flow of current through the device, e.g. photoresistors
  • H01L31/10—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof in which radiation controls flow of current through the device, e.g. photoresistors characterised by potential barriers, e.g. phototransistors
  • H01L31/101—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation
  • H01L31/112—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by field-effect operation, e.g. junction field-effect phototransistor
  • H01L31/113—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by field-effect operation, e.g. junction field-effect phototransistor being of the conductor-insulator-semiconductor type, e.g. metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor
  • H01L31/1136—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by field-effect operation, e.g. junction field-effect phototransistor being of the conductor-insulator-semiconductor type, e.g. metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor the device being a metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a sensor and a method for operating a sensor and to a corresponding one
• DE 100 19 408 C2 discloses a field-effect transistor, in particular for use as a sensor element or acceleration sensor, and a method for its production.
• a sensor is presented which has the following features:
• a carrier or semiconductor substrate having a drain terminal and a source terminal, the drain terminal being separated from the source terminal by a channel region;
• a gate unit movably formed and arranged with respect to the channel region, the gate unit being configured to be responsive a received electromagnetic radiation, a shape of the gate unit and / or a distance of at least a part of the gate unit to
• a sensor may, for example, be understood to mean a sensor in the form of a transistor, in particular a field-effect transistor. Under a channel area, a channel can be located between the drain and the drain
• a gate unit may be understood to mean a unit which has at least one subelement which is referred to as
• Gate electrode acts over the channel region and represents an electrical resistance or a permeability of the channel region for electrons by an electrical potential in this sub-element.
• the at least one part of the gate unit is designed to be movable relative to a surface of the channel region.
• the gate unit may be formed to have a shape, that is, a shape
• the change of the shape and / or a distance of at least a part of the gate unit to the channel area may be caused by an electromagnetic radiation received from at least one (other) part of the gate unit.
• Parameters of a received electromagnetic radiation such as intensity or the like is possible.
• Electromagnetic radiation the change in the shape of the gate unit and / or the distance of at least the portion of the gate unit to the channel region can be effected, whereby upon application of this part of the gate unit with a certain potential, the effect of this potential on an electrical resistance and / or an electron permeability
• Channel region is separated from the source terminal and a gate unit, which is formed and arranged movable with respect to the channel region, wherein the gate unit is adapted to be in response to a received
• Electromagnetic radiation to change a shape of the gate unit and / or a distance of at least a portion of the gate unit to the channel region comprising the following step:
• an electrical parameter between the drain terminal and the source terminal for example, an electrical resistance, a
• such an electrical parameter can be determined by the application of a voltage between the drain terminal and the source terminal, wherein a current flow between the drain terminal and the source Source used to determine the electrical parameter used.
• an apparatus for operating a temperature sensor with a semiconductor or carrier substrate having a drain connection and a
• Channel region is separated from the source terminal and a gate unit, which is formed and arranged movable with respect to the channel region, wherein the gate unit is adapted to be in response to a received
• Electromagnetic radiation to change a shape of the gate unit and / or a distance of at least a portion of the gate unit to the channel region the device having the following feature:
• the present invention thus provides a device which is designed to implement or implement a step of a variant of a method presented here in at least one corresponding device. Also by this embodiment of the invention in the form of a device, the object underlying the invention can be solved quickly and efficiently.
• a device can be understood as meaning an electrical device which processes sensor signals and outputs control and / or data signals in dependence thereon.
• the device may have an interface, which may be formed in hardware and / or software.
• the interfaces can be part of a so-called system ASIC, for example, which contains a wide variety of functions of the device.
• system ASIC system ASIC
• Circuits are or at least partially consist of discrete components.
• the interfaces may be software modules that are present, for example, on a microcontroller in addition to other software modules.
• An advantage is also a computer program product with program code, which on a machine-readable carrier such as a semiconductor memory, a
• Hard disk space or an optical storage can be stored and used to carry out the method according to one of the embodiments described above, when the program product is executed on a computer or a device.
• a computer program product with program code for carrying out a variant of a method presented here is proposed when the program product is executed on a device.
• the gate unit is configured to change a shape and / or a distance of at least a part of the gate unit to the channel area in response to a received infrared radiation.
• Such an embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that an infrared radiation good conditions for changing material dimensions of at least a portion of the gate unit, such as an expansion, a
• the gate unit may be configured to respond in response to a received one
• electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range of 0.5 to 5 ⁇ or in a wavelength range of 6 to 15 ⁇ the shape and / or a
• Such an embodiment of the present invention offers the advantage that in such a wavelength range, the change in shape and / or spacing of at least part of the gate unit to the channel region is very pronounced and thus a very precise measurement of the parameter of the electromagnetic radiation, in particular a quantity and / or a receiving location is possible.
• one for electromagnetic Radiation particularly sensitive material is kept on at least a portion of the gate unit.
• a further material may be provided, which differs from a material of the radiation-receiving layer.
• the gate unit at least one
• Radiation receiving layer is disposed on a side facing away from the channel region of the gate unit.
• Having expansion coefficients can also be the largest possible change in the shape of the gate unit or part of the gate unit and / or the distance between a part of the gate unit and the channel region reach, so that a precise measurement of at least one parameter of the electromagnetic radiation is possible. Particularly large and applicable to any environment scenarios is one
• the gate unit is arranged such that at least a part of the gate unit overlaps the channel region without contact.
• the gate unit having at one end a holding unit, by means of which the gate unit is fixed to the carrier substrate, wherein the gate unit on one of the holding unit
• a holding unit can be understood, for example, a mounting base, which holds the gate unit on one side and attached to a surface of the carrier substrate or a part thereof.
• the gate unit is formed to change its shape in a gate unit area overlapping the channel area.
• Such an embodiment of the present invention offers the advantage of already large change in the distance between a part of the gate unit in the gate unit area and the channel area upon receiving a weak electromagnetic radiation.
• such an embodiment of the present invention offers the advantage of effecting, by means of a structural arrangement of components of the sensor, an amplification or maximum effect of the received electromagnetic radiation so that a precise measurement of a parameter of the electromagnetic radiation becomes possible.
• the gate unit is formed to change the shape of the holding unit with a change in temperature.
• the shape of the holding unit may change with a change in temperature such that a part of the gate unit which overlaps the channel area is moved away from the channel area.
• a sensor array is used with a plurality of mutually coupled sensors according to a variant proposed here.
• FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a sensor with a block diagram of an apparatus for operating such a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 2 is a plan view of a gate unit for describing a possibility of changing a shape of at least part of
• Gate unit whereby a shape, in particular a width and / or a length of the channel region can change;
• 3 is a diagram for describing a dependence of a distance between the channel region and at least part of the gate unit and the temperature change according to an embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 4 shows a diagram for describing a dependence of a distance between at least part of the gate unit and the channel region and a channel current in the channel region according to FIG
• Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the sensor, wherein the gate unit is fixed on one side by means of a holding unit and at an opposite end of the holding unit is freely movable and wherein the channel region overlapping
• Part of the gate unit can deform at a temperature change
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the sensor, wherein the gate unit is fixed on one side by means of a holding unit and is freely movable at an opposite end of the holding unit and wherein the holding unit at a
• FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing the relationship between a temperature and a width of at least a part of the gate unit, wherein the width of the part of the gate unit may also affect the width of the channel area;
• Fig. 1 shows a sensor 100 (also referred to as a sensor element) in
• the channel region 105 is formed or arranged between a drain terminal 1 10 and a source terminal 1 15, which are embedded in a carrier or semiconductor substrate 1 17. In this case, the channel region 105 by means of a
• the gate unit 125 may consist of one or more parts.
• the gate unit 125 may include an absorber 130 having, for example, a special layer of electromagnetic radiation absorbing material.
• the absorber 130 may consist of a different material, such as at least one further part of the gate unit 125.
• the gate unit 125 consists of a uniform material and thus acts as an absorber 130 itself.
• IR radiation, IR infrared
• the absorber 130 is formed by an IR-absorbing material 130 (eg, poly-silicon) or coated with absorbent material (eg, carbon layers, oxides, or a layer stack having absorber properties), the suspension of the gate unit 125 absorbs (as will be described in more detail below) IR radiation or is coated with an absorber 130, this IR absorption leads to a local temperature increase in the gate unit 125 or a part thereof such as a suspension or the
• Gate region 105 overlapping element 140 of the gate unit 125th By thermal expansion in at least part of the gate unit 125 (gate region), i. H. from the part 140 of the gate unit 105 overlapping the channel region 105 or a suspension, the distance between them changes
• the channel conductivity which is inversely proportional to the electrical resistance in the channel region 105, may vary depending on
• the device 150 can now be used to operate the temperature sensor 100.
• a unit 155 is provided for evaluation, which is designed to, for example, a voltage between the drain terminal 1 10 and the
• Channel area 105 can be determined.
• one now determined conductivity and a known, expected conductivity in a state in which the gate unit 125 has a known temperature can now be determined using a specific processing specification as the output signal of the device 150 a current temperature T of the gate unit 125.
• an IR wavelength range can be selected by selective selection of a material of the absorber 130, to which the gate unit 125 changes with a change in shape and / or a change in a distance between at least part of the gate unit 125 and the channel area 105. For example, by a particularly favorable choice of the absorber material, a sensitivity of the
• Gate unit 125 in a wavelength range of z.
• 1-4 ⁇ i.e., near IR radiation
• 6-15 ⁇ i.e., far IR radiation
• other areas of the electromagnetic spectrum can be selected, depending on the choice of
• FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a gate unit 125 or a part 140 of a gate unit 125 which overlaps the channel area 105.
• the channel region 105 is located directly under the portion 140 of the gate unit 125 and is not directly visible in FIG. 2 because it is hidden by the portion 140 of the gate unit 125.
• the distance d between the part 140 of the gate unit 125 and the channel region 105 may change, but also the shape or the position of the gate unit 125 or a part of the Gate unit 125 itself.
• the shape or the position of the gate unit 125 or a part of the Gate unit 125 itself can be due to thermal expansion due to the
• a length L and / or a width w of the channel region 105 overlapping portion 140 of the gate unit 125 change, as shown in Fig. 2 by the arrows shown in the direction of the width w and the length L. This will in turn be a change in the (effective) width w and / or the (effective) length L of the
• Channel area 105 causes.
• this change in the (effective) width w and / or the (effective) length leads to a changed resistance or a changed conductivity of the channel region 105, which can be detected by the device 150 and a conclusion to the temperature of the gate unit 125 and the part of the gate unit 125 supplies.
• the covered channel width w by the above
• FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing a dependency of a distance between the channel region and at least a part of the gate unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 4 shows a diagram for describing a dependence of a distance between at least one part 140 of the gate unit 125 and the channel region 105 and a channel current I in the channel region 105 according to FIG
• the self-conducting FET. 4 shows a diagram of a self-conducting FET in the diagram.
• this conduction behavior or the conductivity / the resistance can be inverted.
• the covered channel width w or the width of the channel region 105 can also be used
• overlapping portion 140 of the gate unit 125 are modulated.
• Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the
• Holding unit 500 is attached and to one of the holding unit 500
• opposite end 510 is free to move and with a the
• T Ti
• T 1 T 1
• the source connection is in front of the drawing plane and the drain connection behind the drawing plane.
• Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the
• Holding unit 500 is attached and to one of the holding unit 500 opposite end 510 is freely movable and wherein the holding unit 500 can deform at a temperature change.
• the holding unit 500 can also be represented by a rigid gate 125 or a rigid part 140 of the gate unit 125 and a deforming suspension 500 as
• Holding unit can be achieved, as shown in FIG. 6.
• the suspension 500 holding unit
• the suspension 500 would be similar to a bimetallic strip executed, d. H. upon temperature increase or heating, deformation occurs.
• the covered channel width w changes, as has already been explained with reference to FIG. 5.
• the part 140 of the gate unit 125 can be dimensionally stable and not deform when the temperature changes.
• FIG. 6 also the source connection in front of the drawing plane and the drain connection behind the drawing plane.
• FIG. 7 shows a diagram for describing the relationship between a temperature T and a width w of at least one part 140 of the gate unit 125, wherein the width w of the part 140 of the gate unit 125 can also affect the width w of the channel region.
• Fig. 7 thus shows a representation of the change in the channel width (w- ⁇ , w 0 ) at different temperatures (Ti, T 0 ). As can be seen from FIG. 7, an increase in the temperature T thus leads to a reduction in the effective covered channel width w.
• Fig. 8 is a diagram for describing the relationship between a channel current I and a width w of a portion 140 of a gate unit 125 overlapping the channel region 105 and a width w of the channel region 105, respectively.
• Fig. 8 shows the relationship of the channel current I as Function of channel width w.
• a small channel width w- ⁇ ( ⁇ w 0 ) results in a reduced channel current ⁇ i ( ⁇ l 0 ).
• FIG. 9 shows a sensor field with a plurality of sensors 100 coupled to one another.
• individual sensors of the Materix arrangement z. B. selected via gate potential selected. 9 is also possible for selection, the gates 125 in the array are then at the same potential.
• the approach presented here allows a very high spatial resolution, since pixel sizes below 10 ⁇ m edge length are feasible. Furthermore, the channel region is also very small selectable and a rewiring (or by a conductor) under the movable gate electrode 125 possible, which is not shown in the figures. This allows very high filling factors of
• CMOS integration i. H. the use of a standard CMOS technology allows low production costs, small height and high spatial resolution.
• the sensor i. H. the use of a standard CMOS technology allows low production costs, small height and high spatial resolution.
• FET field-effect transistor
• Temperature resolution Temperature changes in the mK range and below can be seen with a sensor 100 presented here.
• FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of an embodiment of a method 1000 for operating a (temperature) sensor with a semiconductor substrate having a drain connection and a source connection, wherein the
• Drain terminal is separated by a channel region from the source terminal and a gate unit which is movably formed and arranged with respect to the channel region, wherein the gate unit is adapted to a shape and / or a distance of at least a part of the gate unit to the channel region in response to a received electromagnetic radiation to change.
• Method includes a step 1010 of evaluating a change in Shape or position of the gate unit and / or the distance of at least a part of the gate unit to the channel region by detecting an electrical parameter between the drain terminal and the source terminal.
• an exemplary embodiment comprises a "and / or" link between a first feature and a second feature, then this is to be read so that the embodiment according to one embodiment, both the first feature and the second feature and according to another embodiment either only first feature or only the second feature.

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• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Pressure Sensors (AREA)
• Photometry And Measurement Of Optical Pulse Characteristics (AREA)

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• 2013
  • 2013-06-07 DE DE102013210594.0A patent/DE102013210594A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2014
  • 2014-05-27 EP EP14728142.2A patent/EP3004818A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-05-27 WO PCT/EP2014/060930 patent/WO2014195185A1/de active Application Filing
  • 2014-05-27 CN CN201480032219.8A patent/CN105393096B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

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