Thermopile temperature sensor field of view narrowing using integrated light blocking layer and lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016282194-A1
Application number	US-201514865593-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor device, a sensor package, and method for fabricating a sensor device are described that include an integrated light blocker disposed on the thermopile device and a lens configured to direct light to the thermopile device. In an implementation, the thermopile device includes a substrate; a thermopile membrane disposed on the substrate, the thermopile membrane including at least one passivation layer; a thermopile disposed within the thermopile membrane, the thermopile including at least one thermocouple; and a light blocking layer disposed proximate to the thermopile membrane, the light blocking layer including an aperture disposed proximate to the thermopile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thermopile device, comprising:
a substrate; a thermopile membrane disposed on the substrate, the thermopile membrane including at least one passivation layer; a thermopile disposed within the thermopile membrane, the thermopile including at least one thermocouple; and a light blocking layer disposed proximate to the thermopile membrane, the light blocking layer including an aperture disposed proximate to the thermopile.

2 . The thermopile device of claim 1 , wherein the light blocking layer includes a light reflecting layer disposed on the thermopile membrane.

3 . The thermopile device of claim 1 , wherein the light blocking layer is disposed between the thermopile membrane and a package lid.

4 . The thermopile device of claim 1 , wherein the aperture includes an absorber layer.

5 . A sensor package, comprising:
a hermetic package; and a sensor device disposed within the hermetic package, the sensor device including
a substrate;
a sensor disposed on the substrate; and
a light blocking layer including a light reflecting layer disposed on the sensor, the light blocking layer including an aperture disposed proximate to an active portion of the sensor; and
a package lid disposed on the hermetic package.

6 . The sensor package in claim 5 , wherein the sensor package includes a thermopile temperature sensor package having
a thermopile device including
a thermopile membrane disposed on the substrate;
a thermopile disposed within the thermopile membrane, the thermopile including at least one thermocouple; and
the light blocking layer including the light reflecting layer is disposed on the thermopile membrane and the aperture is disposed proximate to the thermopile.

7 . The sensor package of claim 5 , wherein the sensor includes an optical sensor.

8 . The sensor package of claim 5 , wherein the sensor includes a thermal sensor.

9 . The sensor package of claim 5 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a microbolometer, a pyroelectric detector, or a carbon nanotube detector.

10 . The sensor package of claim 5 , wherein the package lid includes a metal layer configured to at least one of block or reflect light.

11 . The sensor package of claim 10 , wherein the metal layer includes an aperture configured to allow light.

12 . The sensor package of claim 5 , wherein the package lid includes a lens disposed in the package lid and configured to direct light to the sensor device.

13 . The sensor package of claim 12 , wherein the package lid includes a filter disposed on the lens.

14 . The sensor package of claim 13 , wherein the filter includes an infrared radiation filter.

15 . The sensor package of claim 13 , wherein the filter includes an anti-reflective filter.

16 . The sensor package of claim 5 , wherein the package lid is hermetically sealed to the hermetic package.

17 . A process for fabricating a sensor device with an integrated light blocker, comprising:
receiving a substrate; forming a sensor on the substrate; and forming a light blocking layer on the sensor, where the light blocking layer is configured to at least one of block or reflect light, and where the light blocking layer includes an aperture configured to allow light incident upon the sensor.

18 . The process for fabricating a sensor device with an integrated light blocker of claim 17 , where the aperture includes an absorber layer.

19 . The process for fabricating a sensor device with an integrated light blocker of claim 17 , further comprising:
placing the sensor device in a hermetic package; and placing a package lid on the hermetic package, where the package lid includes a lens configured to direct light to the sensor device.

20 . The process for fabricating a sensor device with an integrated light blocker of claim 17 , where the sensor includes a thermopile membrane disposed on the substrate and a light blocking layer disposed proximate to the thermopile membrane.

Assignees

• Maxim Integrated Products

Inventors

• Barnett Stanley
• Pei Cheng-Wei
• Emadi Arvin
• Bhat Jerome C

Classifications

• G01K7/028

  using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon · CPC title

• H01L35/34

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01K7/02 Primary

  using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples · CPC title

• H01L35/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01J2005/065

  by shielding · CPC title