Optical sensor and detector for an optical detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12199209-B2
Application number	US-202017422245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2020
Priority date	Jan 18, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

Described herein is an optical sensor, a detector including the optical sensor for an optical detection of at least one object, a method for manufacturing the optical sensor and various uses of the optical detector.
The optical sensor can be supplied as a non-bulky hermetic package which provides an increased degree of protection against possible degradation by humidity and/or oxygen over long terms. Further, the optical sensor may be easily manufactured and integrated on a circuit carrier device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical sensor ( 110 ), comprising a substrate ( 124 ) attached to a circuit carrier device ( 142 ), a layer ( 112 ) of at least one photoconductive material ( 114 ) which is directly or indirectly applied to the substrate ( 124 ), at least two individual electrical contacts ( 136 , 136 ′) contacting the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ), and a cover ( 116 ) covering accessible surfaces of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and of the substrate ( 124 ), wherein the cover ( 116 ) is an amorphous cover which comprises at least one metal-containing compound ( 120 ), wherein at least one of the substrate ( 124 ) and the cover ( 116 ) is optically transparent within a wavelength range, wherein the cover ( 116 ) is a single conformal layer with respect to an adjacent surface ( 118 ) of the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and of the substrate ( 124 ), and wherein the cover ( 116 ) fully covers the accessible surface of both the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and of sides of the substrate ( 124 ), wherein the cover ( 116 ) is a continuous coating which continuously covers both the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and the sides of the substrate ( 124 ).

2. The optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal-containing compound ( 120 ) comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ta, Mn, Mo, Zr, Hf and W.

3. The optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal-containing compound ( 120 ) is selected from the group consisting of an oxide, a hydroxide, a chalcogenide, a pnictide, a carbide, and a combination thereof.

4. The optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the cover ( 116 ) is or comprises an atomic deposition coating.

5. The optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the cover ( 116 ) further covers the electrical contacts ( 136 , 136 ′) at least partially.

6. The optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical contacts ( 136 , 136 ′) are bondable through the cover ( 116 ).

7. The optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the photoconductive material ( 114 ) comprises at least one chalcogenide, wherein the chalcogenide is selected from the group consisting of a sulfide chalcogenide, a selenide chalcogenide, a telluride chalcogenide, a ternary chalcogenide, a quaternary chalcogenide, a higher chalcogenide, and a solid solution and/or a doped variant thereof.

8. The optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the chalcogenide is selected from the group consisting of lead sulfide (PbS), lead selenide (PbSe), and a solid solution and/or a doped variant thereof.

9. A detector ( 150 ) for an optical detection, comprising:
at least one optical sensor ( 110 ) according to claim 1 , the optical sensor ( 110 ) comprising at least one sensor region ( 152 ), wherein the optical sensor ( 110 ) is designed to generate at least one sensor signal in a manner dependent on an illumination of the sensor region ( 152 ) by a light beam ( 126 ); and
at least one evaluation device ( 156 ), wherein the evaluation device ( 156 ) is designed to generate at least one item of information with respect to optical radiation provided by the light beam ( 126 ) by evaluating the sensor signal of the optical sensor ( 110 ).

10. A method of using the detector ( 150 ) according to claim 9 , the method comprising using the detector ( 150 ) for a purpose selected from the group consisting of: gas sensing, fire detection, flame detection, heat detection, smoke detection, combustion monitoring, spectroscopy, temperature sensing, motion sensing, industrial monitoring, chemical sensing, exhaust gas monitoring, and a security application.

11. A method for manufacturing an optical sensor ( 100 ), the method comprising the following steps:
a) providing a substrate ( 124 ) attached to a circuit carrier device ( 142 ), a layer ( 112 ) of at least one photoconductive material ( 114 ) which is directly or indirectly applied to the substrate ( 124 ), and at least two individual electrical contacts ( 136 , 136 ′) contacting the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ); and
b) thereafter, depositing an amorphous cover ( 116 ) on accessible surfaces of the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and of the substrate ( 124 ), wherein the cover ( 116 ) comprises at least one metal-containing compound ( 120 ),
wherein at least one of the substrate ( 124 ) and the cover ( 116 ) is optically transparent within a wavelength range, wherein the cover ( 116 ) is a single conformal layer with respect to an adjacent surface ( 118 ) of the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and of the substrate ( 124 ), and wherein the cover ( 116 ) fully covers the accessible surface of both the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and of sides of the substrate ( 124 ), wherein the cover ( 116 ) is a continuous coating which continuously covers both the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) and the sides of the substrate ( 124 ).

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the layer ( 112 ) of the photoconductive material ( 114 ) comprises at least two individual sensor areas which are directly or indirectly applied to the same substrate ( 124 ), wherein the individual sensor areas are separated from each other between step a) and step b) in a manner that each of the individual sensor areas is carried by a respective portion of the substrate ( 124 ).

Assignees

• Trinamix Gmbh

Inventors

• Hermes Wilfried
• Valouch Sebastian
• Mueller Sebastian
• Hoeh Regina
• Bechtel Heidi
• Altenbeck Timo
• Dittmann Fabian
• Feuerstein Bertram
• Hupfauer Thomas
• Handreck Anke
• Gust Robert
• Send Robert
• Bruder Ingmar

Classifications

• G08B21/12

  responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms · CPC title

• G08B17/12

  Actuation by presence of radiation or particles, e.g. of infrared radiation or of ions · CPC title

• G08B17/11

  using an ionisation chamber for detecting smoke or gas · CPC title

• H10F30/22

  the devices having only one potential barrier, e.g. photodiodes · CPC title

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title