Thermoresistive micro sensor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12196589-B2
Application number	US-202218065394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2022
Priority date	Jun 14, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A thermoresistive micro sensor device includes a semiconductor chip; a through hole, which runs through the semiconductor chip from an upper side to a lower side; electrically conductive structures, wherein the middle section of each of the electrically conductive structures spans over the through hole at the upper side of the semiconductor chip; an electrically insulating arrangement for electrically insulating the electrically conductive structures and the semiconductor chip from each other, wherein the through hole runs through the electrically insulating arrangement; and a contact arrangement including contacts, wherein each of the contacts is electrically connected to one of the first end sections or one of the second end sections, so that electrical energy is fed to at least one of the electrically conductive structures to heat the respective electrically conductive structure, and so that an electrical resistance of one of the electrically conductive structures is measured at the contact arrangement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoresistive sensor for a fluid meter, the thermoresistive sensor comprising:
a semiconductor chip having an upper side and a lower side;
a through hole extending through the semiconductor chip from the upper side to the lower side; three electrical conductors aligned with the through hole;
an electrical insulator configured for electrically insulating the three electrical conductors and the semiconductor chip from each other; and
six electrical contacts electrically connected to the three electrical conductors and respectively configured as three electrical circuits, wherein at least one of the three electrical conductors is configured for deflection, wherein the thermoresistive sensor is configured to measure a flow rate or a pressure of a fluid, wherein the three electrical conductors are configured so that, in a center portion of the through hole, a higher partial mass flow is possible than in a peripheral portion of the through hole, and wherein a first electrical conductor has a first width, a second electrical conductor has a second width different from the first width, and a third electrical conductor has a third width different from the first width and the second width.

2. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 1 , wherein the through hole has a circular shape, and wherein the thermoresistive sensor has at least one line of symmetry.

3. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 1 , wherein a first electrical circuit comprises a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact to a first electrical conductor, a second electrical circuit comprises a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact to a second electrical conductor, and a third electrical circuit comprises a fifth electrical contact and a sixth electrical contact to a third electrical conductor.

4. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 3 , wherein the first electrical conductor is a sensing structure, the second electrical conductor is a heating structure, and the third electrical conductor is an actuator configured to deflect.

5. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 4 , wherein the actuator is selected from at least one of: a thermomechanical actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, or an electrostatic actuator.

6. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 4 , wherein the actuator is configured to deflect at a middle portion, wherein a distance between the actuator and the heating structure or the sensing structure is changed.

7. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 4 , wherein, absent deflection of the actuator, the first electrical conductor, the second electrical conductor, and the third electrical conductor are equidistant from each other.

8. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 3 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the third electrical conductor are sensing structures configured for deflection, and the second electrical conductor is a heating structure.

9. The thermoresistive sensor of claim 3 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the third electrical conductor are heating structures, and the second electrical conductor is a sensing structure configured for deflection.

10. A fluid meter comprising:
a thermoresistive sensor chip having an upper side and a lower side;
a through hole extending through the thermoresistive sensor chip from the upper side to the lower side;
three electrical conductors aligned with the through hole, wherein a first electrical conductor has a first width, a second electrical conductor has a second width different from the first width, and a third electrical conductor has a third width different from the first width and the second width;
an electrical insulator configured for electrically insulating the three electrical conductors and the thermoresistive sensor chip from each other;
six electrical contacts electrically connected to the three electrical conductors and configured as three electrical circuits; and
a power supply for electrically powering the fluid meter,
wherein at least one of the three electrical conductors is configured for deflection, and wherein the fluid meter is configured to measure a flow rate or a pressure of a fluid.

11. The fluid meter of claim 10 , wherein the through hole has a circular shape, and wherein the thermoresistive sensor chip has at least one line of symmetry.

12. The fluid meter of claim 10 , wherein a first electrical circuit comprises a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact to a first electrical conductor, a second electrical circuit comprises a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact to a second electrical conductor, and a third electrical circuit comprises a fifth electrical contact and a sixth electrical contact to a third electrical conductor.

13. The fluid meter of claim 12 , wherein the first electrical conductor is a sensing structure, the second electrical conductor is a heating structure, and the third electrical conductor is an actuator configured to deflect.

14. The fluid meter of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is selected from at least one of: a thermomechanical actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, or an electrostatic actuator.

15. The fluid meter of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is configured to deflect at a middle portion, wherein a distance between the actuator and the heating structure or the sensing structure is changed.

16. The fluid meter of claim 13 , wherein, absent deflection of the actuator, the first electrical conductor, the second electrical conductor, and the third electrical conductor are equidistant from each other.

17. The fluid meter of claim 12 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the third electrical conductor are sensing structures configured for deflection, and the second electrical conductor is a heating structure.

18. The fluid meter of claim 12 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the third electrical conductor are heating structures, and the second electrical conductor is a sensing structure configured for deflection.

19. A mass flow meter comprising:
a thermoresistive sensor chip having an upper side and a lower side;
a through hole extending through the thermoresistive sensor chip from the upper side to the lower side;
three electrical conductors aligned with the through hole;
an electrical insulator configured for electrically insulating the three electrical conductors and the thermoresistive sensor chip from each other;
six electrical contacts electrically connected to the three electrical conductors and configured as three electrical circuits; and
a power supply for electrically powering the mass flow meter, wherein at least one of the three electrical conductors is configured for deflection, and wherein the mass flow meter is configured to measure a mass flow of a fluid, wherein a first electrical conductor and a first electrical insulator have a first width and are closest to a center portion of the through hole, a second electrical conductor and a second electrical insulator have a second width, a third electrical conductor and a third electrical insulator have a third width and are furthest from the center portion of the through hole, and wherein the first width and the third width are different widths.

20. The mass flow meter of claim 19 , wherein the through hole has a circular shape, and wherein the thermoresistive sensor chip has at least one line of symmetry.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Seidl Martin
• Bretthauer Christian
• Klein Wolfgang
• Krumbein Ulrich
• Tumpold David

Classifications

• G01F1/86

  Indirect mass flowmeters, e.g. measuring volume flow and density, temperature or pressure · CPC title

• G01K7/186

  using microstructures · CPC title

• G01F1/6845

  Micromachined devices · CPC title

• G01L9/0051

  using variations in ohmic resistance · CPC title

• G01F1/6888 Primary

  Thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples, thermopiles · CPC title