Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Toru Baba

Yoshifumi Watabe

Tsutomu Ichihara

Takuya Komoda

Koichi Aizawa

Yoshiyuki Takegawa

Yoshiaki Honda

Takashi Hatai

Yuji Suzuki

Kouji Gotou

Takashi Saijo

Takashi Nakagawa

Hisakazu Miyajima

Kazushi Kataoka

Takafumi Okudo

Masanori Hayashi

Takaaki Yoshihara

Hirotaka Matsunami

Shin Okumura

Yoshifumi Suehiro

Ryo Arakawa

Jyunji Ikeda

Noriyuki Yasuike

A water content sensor includes: a light emitter that emits detection light having a first wavelength band and reference light a second wavelength band toward a road surface; a first light receiver that converts the detection light reflected by the road surface to a first electric signal; a second light receiver that converts the reference light reflected by the road surface to a second electric signal; and a computation processor that detects the amount of water based on a signal ratio between the first electric signal and the second electric signal. The computation processor detects the amount of water based on the signal ratio obtained when the signal intensity of at least one of the first electric signal and the second electric signal is within a predetermined range defined relative to a reference value.

Water content sensor and road surface state detection device

A functional water concentration sensor includes: a light source which emits ultraviolet light; a container capable of holding functional water having a pH between 6 and 9, inclusive, and containing hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite dissociated from the hypochlorous acid; a light-receiving element; and a signal processor. The signal processor calculates the concentration of the hypochlorite in the functional water on the basis of the output signal, calculates the percentages of the hypochlorous acid and the hypochlorite in the functional water on the basis of the pH of the functional water and the dissociation constant of the hypochlorous acid, and calculates the concentration of the hypochlorous acid in the functional water on the basis of the calculated hypochlorite concentration and the calculated percentages.

Functional water concentration sensor, and calculation method

A functional water concentration sensor includes: a container used to contain functional water; a light source that emits ultraviolet light; a phosphor that emits fluorescence when excited by ultraviolet light emitted from the light source and transmitted through the container; and a light-receiving element that receives the fluorescence, wherein a peak wavelength of the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source is in a predetermined range that includes an absorption peak specific to the functional water.

Functional water concentration sensor

A wafer level package structure, in which a plurality of compact sensor devices with small variations in sensor characteristics are formed, and a method of producing the same are provided. This package structure has a semiconductor wafer having plural sensor units, and a package wafer bonded to the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer has a first metal layer formed with respect to each of the sensor units. The package wafer has a bonding metal layer at a position facing the first metal layer. Since a bonding portion between the semiconductor wafer and the package wafer is formed at room temperature by a direct bonding between activated surfaces of the first metal layer and the bonding metal layer, it is possible to prevent that variations in sensor characteristics occur due to residual stress at the bonding portion.

Wafer level package structure and production method therefor

A wafer level package structure with a plurality of compact sensors such as acceleration sensors and gyro sensors is provided. This package structure is composed of a semiconductor wafer with plural sensor units, and a pair of package wafers bonded to both surfaces of the semiconductor wafer. Each of the sensor units has a frame having an opening, a movable portion held in the opening to be movable relative to the frame, and a detecting portion for outputting an electric signal according to a positional displacement of the movable portion. Since the semiconductor wafer is bonded to each of the package wafers by a solid-phase direct bonding without diffusion between a surface-activated region formed on the frame and a surface-activated region formed on the package wafer, it is possible to prevent that variations in sensor characteristics occur due to residual stress at the bonding interface.

Wafer level package structure, and sensor device obtained from the same package structure

A sensor device having small variations in sensor characteristics and improved resistance to electrical noise is provided. This sensor device has a sensor unit, which is provided with a frame having an opening, a movable portion held in the opening to be movable relative to the frame, and a detecting portion for outputting an electric signal according to a positional displacement of the movable portion, and a package substrate made of a semiconductor material, and bonded to a surface of the sensor unit. The package substrate has an electrical insulating film on a surface facing the sensor unit. The package substrate is bonded to the sensor unit by forming a direct bonding between an activated surface of the electrical insulating film and an activated surface of the sensor unit at room temperature.

Sensor device and production method therefor

Apparatus and method for modifying an object with electrons are provided, by which the object can be uniformly and efficiently modified with the electrons under a pressure substantially equal to atmospheric pressure even when having a relatively wide surface area to be treated. This method uses a cold-cathode electron emitter having the capability of emitting electrons from a planar electron emitting portion according to tunnel effect, and preferably comprising a pair of electrodes, and a strong field drift layer including nanocrystalline silicon disposed between the electrodes. The object is exposed to electrons emitted from the planar electron emitting portion by applying a voltage between the electrodes.

Method and apparatus for modifying object with electrons generated from cold cathode electron emitter

A compact sensor device having stable sensor characteristics and the production method are provided. The sensor device is formed with a sensor substrate and a pair of package substrates bonded to both surface of the sensor substrate. The sensor substrate has a frame with an opening, a movable portion held in the opening to be movable relative to the frame, and a detecting portion for outputting an electric signal according to a positional displacement of the movable portion. Surface-activated regions are formed on the frame of the sensor substrate and the package substrates by use of an atomic beam, an ion beam or a plasma of an inert gas. By forming a direct bonding between the surface-activated regions of the sensor substrate and each of the package substrates at room temperature, it is possible to avoid inconvenience resulting from residual stress at the bonding portion.

A field emission-type electron source has a plurality of electron source elements () formed on the side of one surface (front surface) of an insulative substrate () composed of a glass substrate. Each of electron source elements () includes a lower electrode (), a buffer layer () composed of an amorphous silicon layer formed on the lower electrode (), a polycrystalline silicon layer () formed on the buffer layer (), a strong-field drift layer () formed on the polycrystalline silicon layer (), and a surface electrode () formed on the strong-field drift layer (). The field emission-type electron source can achieved reduced in-plain variation in electron emission characteristics.

Field emission-type electron source and method of producing the same

In a field emission-type electron source (), a strong field drift layer () and a surface electrode () consisting of a gold thin film are provided on an n-type silicon substrate (). An ohmic electrode () is provided on the back surface of the n-type silicon substrate (). A direct current voltage is applied so that the surface electrode () becomes positive in potential relevant to the ohmic electrode (). In this manner, electrons injected from the ohmic electrode () into the strong field drift layer () via the n-type silicon substrate () drift in the strong field drift layer (), and is emitted to the outside via the surface electrode (). The strong field drift layer () has: a number of semiconductor nanocrystals () of nano-meter order formed partly of a semiconductor layer configuring the strong field drift layer (); and a number of insulating films () each of which is formed on the surface of each of the semiconductor nanocrystals () and each having film thickness to an extent such that an electron tunneling phenomenon occurs.

Field emission electron source and production method thereof

An electron source ( ) has an electron source element ( ) including a lower electrode ( ), a drift layer ( ) and a surface electrode ( ). The drift layer ( ) is interposed between the lower electrode ( ) and the surface electrode ( ). When a certain voltage is applied between the surface electrode ( ) and the lower electrode ( ) such that the surface electrode ( ) has a higher potential than that of the lower electrode ( ), a resultingly induced electric field allows electrons to pass through the drift layer ( ) and then the electrons are emitted through the surface electrode ( ). When a forward-bias voltage is applied between the surface electrode ( ) and the lower electrode ( ), a reverse-bias voltage is applied after the forward-bias voltage has been applied to release out of the drift layer ( ) an electron captured by a trap ( ) in the drift layer ( ).

Field emission-type electron source and method of biasing the same

An electron source has an n-type silicon substrate , a drift layer formed on one surface of the substrate , and a surface electrode formed on the drift layer . A voltage is applied so that the surface electrode becomes positive in polarity relevant to the substrate , whereby electrons injected from the substrate into the drift layer drift within the drift layer , and are emitted through the surface electrode . In a process for manufacturing this electron source , when the drift layer is formed, a porous semiconductor layer containing a semiconductor nanocrystal is formed in accordance with anodic oxidation. Then, an insulating film is formed on the surface of each semiconductor nanocrystal. Anodic oxidation is carried out while emitting light that essentially contains a wavelength in a visible light region relevant to the semiconductor layer.

Method of and apparatus for manufacturing field emission-type electron source

A lower electrode ( ) and surface electrode ( ) composed of a layer-structured conductive carbide layer is formed on one principal surface side of the substrate ( ) composed of an insulative substrate such as a glass or ceramic substrate. A non-doped polycrystalline silicon layer ( ) is formed on the lower electrode ( ). An electron transit layer ( ) composed of an oxidized porous polycrystalline silicon is formed on the polycrystalline silicon layer ( ). The electron transit layer ( ) is composed of a composite nanocrystal layer including polycrystalline silicon and many nanocrystalline silicons residing adjacent to a grain boundary of the polycrystalline silicon. When voltage is applied between the lower electrode ( ) and the surface electrode ( ) such that the surface electrode ( ) has a higher potential, electrons are injected from the lower electrode ( ) toward the surface electrode ( ), and emitted through the surface electrode ( ) through the electron transit layer ( ).

Field emission-type electron source

In a field emission-type electron source ( ), lower electrodes ( ) made of an electroconductive layer, a strong field drift layer ( ) including drift portions ( ) made of an oxidized or nitrided porous semiconductor, and surface electrodes ( ) made of a metal layer are provided on an upper side of a dielectric substrate ( ) made of glass. When voltage is applied to cause the surface electrodes ( ) to be anodic with respect to the lower electrodes ( ), electrons injected from the lower electrodes ( ) to the strong field drift layer ( ) are led to drift through the strong field drift layer ( ) and are emitted outside through the surface electrodes ( ). A pn-junction semiconductor layer composed of an n-layer ( ) and a p-layer ( ) is provided between the lower electrode ( ) and the strong field drift layer ( ) to prevent a leakage current from flowing to the surface electrode ( ) from the lower electrode ( ), thereby reducing amount of power consumption.

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Osaka, Japan

Toru Baba