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:
Nov. 16, 2010
Filed:
Jun. 27, 2005
Alan Bell, Mountain View, CA (US);
Richard H. Bruce, Los Altos, CA (US);
Eric Peeters, Fremont, CA (US);
Michal V. Wolkin, Los Altos, CA (US);
Dirk DE Bruyker, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Alan Bell, Mountain View, CA (US);
Richard H. Bruce, Los Altos, CA (US);
Eric Peeters, Fremont, CA (US);
Michal V. Wolkin, Los Altos, CA (US);
Dirk De Bruyker, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Thermal sensing devices can include two subsets of thermal sensors connected in a bridge by circuitry on the same support layer or surface with the sensors. Each thermal sensor can be formed in a patterned layer of semiconductor material, and the bridge circuitry can include leads formed in a patterned layer of conductive material, over or under the semiconductor layer. In one implementation, the bridge circuitry includes conductive portions that extend across and electrically contact the lower surface of each sensor's semiconductor slab. The bridge circuitry can also include pads that can be electrically contacted, such as by pogo pins. The device's reaction surface can be spaced apart from or over the thermal sensors. The device's components can be shaped and positioned so that the bridge's offset voltage is below the sensitivity level required for an application, such as by left-right symmetry about an axis.