Abstract:
A component for a sensor having a sensor element and having an output interface for the outputting of an electrical signal, which is dependent on a physical variable, from the sensor element to the output interface, including—a circuit with at least one first signal path for receiving the electrical signal from the sensor element and for conducting the electrical signal to the output interface, and a second signal path, which differs from the first signal path, for conducting the electrical signal to the output interface,—wherein an activity of the first signal path or of the second signal path is dependent on a position of the component in the sensor.
Abstract:
A semiconductor device, includes a semiconductor substrate (10) having a first (12a) and a second (12b) side. There is provided at least one via (15) extending through the substrate (10) having first (16a) and second (16b) end surfaces, the first end surface (16a) constituting a transducer electrode for interacting with a movable element (14) arranged at the first side (12a) of the substrate (10). A shield (17) is provided on and covers at least part of the first side (12a) of the substrate (10), the shield/mask (17) including a conductive layer (19a) and an insulating material layer (19b) provided between the substrate (10) and the conductive layer (19a). The mask has an opening (18) exposing only a part of the first surface (16a) of the via. Preferably the opening (18) in the mask is precisely aligned with the movable element, and the area of the opening is accurately defined.
Abstract:
The disclosure relates to method and apparatus for micro-contact printing of micro-electromechanical systems (“MEMS”) in a solvent-free environment. The disclosed embodiments enable forming a composite membrane over a parylene layer and transferring the composite structure to a receiving structure to form one or more microcavities covered by the composite membrane. The parylene film may have a thickness in the range of about 100 nm-2 microns; 100 nm-1 micron, 200-300 nm, 300-500 nm, 500 nm to 1 micron and 1-30 microns. Next, one or more secondary layers are formed over the parylene to create a composite membrane. The composite membrane may have a thickness of about 100 nm to 700 nm to several microns. The composite membrane's deflection in response to external forces can be measured to provide a contact-less detector. Conversely, the composite membrane may be actuated using an external bias to cause deflection commensurate with the applied bias. Applications of the disclosed embodiments include tunable lasers, microphones, microspeakers, remotely-activated contact-less pressure sensors and the like.
Abstract:
A semiconductor gas sensor device includes a first cavity that is enclosed by opposing first and second semiconductor substrate slices. At least one conducting filament is provided to extend over the first cavity, and a passageway is provided to permit gas to enter the first cavity. The sensor device may further including a second cavity that is hermetically enclosed by the opposing first and second semiconductor substrate slices. At least one another conducting filament is provided to extend over the second cavity.
Abstract:
A method (70) of forming sensor packages (20) entails providing a sensor wafer (74) having sensors (30) formed on a side (26) positioned within areas (34) delineated by bonding perimeters (36), and providing a controller wafer (82) having control circuitry (42) at one side (38) and bonding perimeters (46) on an opposing side (40). The bonding perimeters (46) of the controller wafer (82) are bonded to corresponding bonding perimeters (36) of the sensor wafer (74) to form a stacked wafer structure (48) in which the control circuitry (42) faces outwardly. The controller wafer (82) is sawn to reveal bond pads (32) on the sensor wafer (74) which are wire bonded to corresponding bond pads (44) formed on the same side (38) of the wafer (82) as the control circuitry (42). The structure (48) is encapsulated in packaging material (62) and is singulated to produce the sensor packages (20).
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an electrode assembly having a laminate structure comprising: a first insulating capping layer; a first conducting layer capped by the first insulating capping layer and substantially sandwiched by at least the first insulating capping layer such as to leave exposed only an electrical contact lip of the first conducting layer; and an array of etched voids extending through at least the first insulating capping layer and the first conducting layer, wherein each void is partly bound by a surface of the first conducting layer which acts as an internal submicron electrode.
Abstract:
The MEMS type semiconductor gas detection element of the invention is a MEMS type semiconductor gas detection element 1 having a MEMS structure, for detecting hydrogen gas, comprising: a substrate 2; a gas sensitive portion 3 mainly made of a metal oxide semiconductor and provided to the substrate 2; a heating portion 4 for heating the gas sensitive portion 3; an inactive film 5 having hydrogen-permselective and formed outside the gas sensitive portion 3; a protective film 6 formed outside the inactive film 5, for suppressing deterioration of the gas sensitive portion 3.
Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting the activity of persons or the state of infrastructures or objects influenced by persons by means of acceleration measurement. The device has an acceleration sensor which is arranged to react to a preset threshold value of a measured acceleration and, when the threshold value is exceeded, to trigger at least one of the actions of data storage, modification of a counter or transmission of a data telegram by radio. The apparatus further comprises an energy converter for converting a primary energy into electrical energy for operating the apparatus or the acceleration sensor. The energy converter is arranged to obtain the primary energy independently of an energy resulting from a measured acceleration.
Abstract:
The described technology is generally directed towards a sensor output digitizer. The sensor output digitizer can comprise a multiplexer stage, a multi-stage analog to digital converter, and a digital output combiner. The multiplexer stage can be configured to sequentially select sensor outputs from one or more sensors, resulting in a stream of selected sensor outputs. The multi-stage analog to digital converter can be coupled with the multiplexer stage, and can be configured to convert the stream of selected sensor outputs into a stream of digitized outputs. The digital output combiner can be configured to re-scale and sum intermediate outputs of the multi-stage analog to digital converter to produce a stream of digitized sensor outputs.
Abstract:
Described herein are hierarchical porous Pd@PdPt yolk-shell nanoarchitectonics and hollow PdPt nanocages hydrogen sensors, methods of producing the hydrogen sensors, and methods of using the sensors to detect H2 under ambient conditions.