The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 05, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 13, 1996
Ronald L Williams, Fallbrook, CA (US);
Paul R Norton, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Raytheon Company, Lexington, MA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus (102, 202, 302) and method for tunneling rate infrared detection devices formed on a single substrate (100). A counter electrode (104, 207) having a plurality of portions extending from the substrate (100) with the counter electrode (104, 207) suspended above the substrate (100) at a distance from a tunneling electrode (116) so that a tunneling current flows through the counter electrode (104, 207) and tunneling electrode (116) in response to an applied bias voltage. The counter electrode (104, 207) and tunneling electrodes (116) form a circuit that produces an output signal. A force applied to the sensor (102, 202, 302) urges the counter electrode (104, 207, 304) to deflect relative to the tunneling electrode (116) to modulate the output signal. The output signal is a control voltage that is applied between the counter electrode (104, 207, 304) and a control electrode (114) to maintain a constant tunneling current. In the preferred embodiment, two cantilever portions (108, 110) extend from the wafer surface (100). In a further embodiment, three portions (206, 208, 210) extend from the substrate (100). In an alternate embodiment, a counter electrode (304) having a varying width is fabricated.