Thermopile infrared sensor structure with a high filling level

Abstract

Thermopile infrared sensor structure with a high filling level in a housing filled with a medium (), consisting of a carrier substrate () which has electrical connections (') to the outside and is closed with an optical assembly (), wherein a sensor chip () is applied to the carrier substrate () in the housing, which chip has a plurality of thermoelectric sensor element structures (), the so-called 'hot contacts' () of which are located on individual diaphragms () which are stretched across a respective cavity () in a silicon carrying body () with good thermal conductivity, wherein the 'cold contacts' () are located on or in the vicinity of the silicon carrying body (). The problem addressed by the invention is that of specifying a thermopile infrared array sensor (sensor cell) which, with a small chip size, has a high thermal resolution and a particularly high filling level. This sensor is preferably intended to be operated in gas with a normal pressure or a reduced pressure and is intended to be able to be mass-produced in a cost-effective manner under ultra-high vacuum without complicated technologies for closing the housing. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that a radiation collector structure () is located above each individual diaphragm () of the sensor element structures () which spans a cavity ().