Abstract: A thermal printing device includes a substrate, an insulation layer on the substrate, and a plurality of microheaters on the insulation layer. Two adjacent ones of the microheaters are separated by a trench. Each of the microheaters includes a body having a heating surface, and two metal wires disposed on two sides of the heating surface of the body. A thermal printing operation is performed by applying a variable voltage or current between the two metal wires in order to heat the microheater to a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A capacitive fingerprint sensor includes a plurality of capacitive sensing members arranged in a 2D array. A charge-sharing principle is utilized to read signals in the capacitive sensing member. Each capacitive sensing member includes an insulating surface layer, a sense electrode, a reference electrode, a reference capacitor, and a signal reading circuit. The sense electrode is below the insulating surface layer. When a finger contacts the insulating surface layer, a sense capacitor is formed therebetween. The reference capacitor is connected between the reference and sense electrodes. The signal reading circuit is connected to the sense and reference electrodes, repeatedly provides control signals to charge the reference capacitor and then enable the reference and sense capacitor to share charges. Finally, the sense voltage of the sense electrode may be read.

Abstract: A thermal bubble type micro inertial sensor formed by micromachining technology includes a substrate, a heater arranged on the substrate, four temperature sensing members, a cap arranged above the substrate to cover and encapsulate the heater and the temperature sensing members, and a liquid filled into a chamber formed between the cap and the substrate. The temperature sensing members are symmetrical arranged at opposite sides of the heater and on the substrate, respectively, to sense the temperature difference beside the heater. The heater heats and partially vaporizes the liquid to form a thermal bubble in the liquid environment. Controlling the liquid characteristics and heater temperature may control the bubble size and enable the temperature sensing members to sense the temperature distribution variation. The sensor may serve as an inclinometer to sense the tilt, as well as an accelerometer to measure the acceleration.

Abstract: A chip-type sensor against ESD and stress damages and contamination interference includes a substrate structure and a protection layer covering over the substrate structure. The protection layer includes, from bottom to top, a first layer for providing a first stress against the substrate structure, a second layer for providing a second stress against the substrate structure, and a third layer for providing a third stress against the substrate structure. The first stress and the third stress belong to one of a tensile stress and a compressive stress, and the second stress belongs to the other of the tensile stress and the compressive stress.

Abstract: A card device includes a substrate having two long sides and two short sides, and a sweep-type fingerprint sensor embedded into the substrate. The sweep-type fingerprint sensor has an exposed fingerprint sensing surface, and is disposed in a rectangular low-stress region. The rectangular low-stress region has a dimension substantially smaller than or equal to 30 mm*22 mm. The shortest distance from the low-stress region to each long side is substantially equal to 2 mm, and the shortest distance from the low-stress region to each short side is substantially equal to 2 mm.

Abstract: A capacitive fingerprint sensor against ESD damage and contamination interference includes a substrate, a plurality of plate electrodes, a metal mesh, a plurality of ESD units, a plurality of bonding pads, and a protection layer. The plate electrodes, bonding pads and metal mesh are positioned on the substrate at the same level, and are composed of the same material. The ESD units are connected to the metal mesh that is conducted to the ground, and are exposed via a plurality of first openings. Thus, electrostatic charges from a finger may be discharged through this path to the ground. The metal mesh is covered by the protection layer and is not exposed. The number of the ESD units is far less than that of the plate electrodes so as to reduce the contamination interference on the captured fingerprint image.

Abstract: A card device includes a substrate having two long sides and two short sides, and a sweep-type fingerprint sensor embedded into the substrate. The sweep-type fingerprint sensor has an exposed fingerprint sensing surface, and is disposed in a rectangular low-stress region. The rectangular low-stress region has a dimension substantially smaller than or equal to 30 mm*22 mm. The shortest distance from the low-stress region to each long side is substantially equal to 2 mm, and the shortest distance from the low-stress region to each short side is substantially equal to 2 mm.

Abstract: A sweep-type fingerprint sensor module includes a microprocessor and a sweep-type fingerprint sensor, which includes a substrate, and a sensing members array, a speed-detecting unit, and a processing circuit on the substrate. The array is composed of plural fingerprint sensing members. When the finger sweeps across the fingerprint sensor, the array sequentially acquires plural fingerprint fragment images from the finger with a sampling time interval. The speed-detecting unit is composed of first and second plate electrodes. The processing circuit processes and then outputs signals from the array and the speed-detecting unit.

Abstract: A capacitive fingerprint sensor against ESD damage and contamination interference includes a substrate, a plurality of plate electrodes, a metal mesh, a plurality of ESD units, a plurality of bonding pads, and a protection layer. The plate electrodes, bonding pads and metal mesh are positioned on the substrate at the same level, and are composed of the same material. The ESD units are connected to the metal mesh that is conducted to the ground, and are exposed via a plurality of first openings. Thus, electrostatic charges from a finger may be discharged through this path to the ground. The metal mesh is covered by the protection layer and is not exposed. The number of the ESD units is far less than that of the plate electrodes so as to reduce the contamination interference on the captured fingerprint image.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fingerprint sensing mechanism using a two-dimensional thermoelectric sensor array to capture the thermal image related to the ridges and valleys on the finger, wherein its fabricating method is totally compatible with integrated circuits processing. Using the body temperature of a human being as the stimulation source for biometrics, a temperature difference is produced from a ridge of a fingerprint contacting the thermoelectric sensor and the temperature gradient is converted into an electrical signal. A plurality of thermoelectric sensors arranged in a two-dimensional array forms a fingerprint sensor so as to obtain the electrical signal output of the ridge profile of the fingerprint.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fabrication method of a pressure type fingerprint sensor, which uses the commercial integrated circuit process to form the sensor and the processing circuit together on the same chip. The present invention comprises a plurality of capacitive pressure sensors arranged in a 2-D array and applies the charge sharing principle to each capacitive pressure sensor for signal reading. The main structure of each pressure sensor is a pair of plate electrodes with an air gap between them to form a plate sensor capacitor, wherein the plate electrodes comprise a floating electrode and a fixed electrode. When the finger ridge contacts the floating electrode, the pressure from the finger changes the spacing of the air gap so as to change the capacitance of the plate sensor capacitor. The 2-D sensor array can read the 2-D pressure distribution pressed by the finger ridge to construct the fingerprint pattern.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a bidirectionally vertical motion actuator includes the steps of: providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer, which comprises a first silicon wafer, an insulation layer on a top surface of the first silicon wafer, and a second silicon wafer; forming a dielectric layer on the SOI wafer by way of deposition; depositing a conductive layer on the dielectric layer; etching the conductive layer, the dielectric layer and the second silicon wafer simultaneously to form a proper top trench; and forming an anisotropic etching groove on a backside of the SOI wafer. A bidirectionally vertical motion actuator formed using the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A thermal bubble type micro inertial sensor formed by micromachining technology includes a substrate, a heater arranged on the substrate, four temperature sensing members, a cap arranged above the substrate to cover and encapsulate the heater and the temperature sensing members, and a liquid filled into a chamber formed between the cap and the substrate. The temperature sensing members are symmetrical arranged at opposite sides of the heater and on the substrate, respectively, to sense the temperature difference beside the heater. The heater heats and partially vaporizes the liquid to form a thermal bubble in the liquid environment. Controlling the liquid characteristics and heater temperature may control the bubble size and enable the temperature sensing members to sense the temperature distribution variation. The sensor may serve as an inclinometer to sense the tilt, as well as an accelerometer to measure the acceleration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wafer level package of micro electromechanical devices. The wafer level package of the present invention comprises a wafer having a plurality of micro electromechanical devices and a package wafer of the same size. A plurality of conductor plugs penetrate through the upper and lower surfaces of the package wafer. Solder bumps are formed on the conductor plugs to be adhered to predetermined solder bumps on the micro electromechanical device wafer so as to form a package device. The wafer level package of the present invention can prevent micro electromechanical devices from damage during the packaging procedure.

Abstract: A capacitive micro pressure sensing member and a fingerprint sensor using the same. The sensing member includes a substrate, a first suspended structure, a first protrusion structure, and a second suspended structure. The first suspended structure is located above the substrate and includes a suspended thin plate and at least one compliant suspension arm extending outwards from a boundary of the suspended thin plate in a direction substantially parallel to the suspended thin plate. The first protrusion structure is arranged at a center portion of a top surface of the suspended thin plate. The second suspended structure is arranged on a top surface of the first protrusion structure with a center portion of the second suspended structure contacting the first protrusion structure. The second suspended structure covers the first suspended structure to form a sealed chamber together with the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fabrication method of a pressure type fingerprint sensor, which uses the commercial integrated circuit process to form the sensor and the processing circuit together on the same chip. The present invention comprises a plurality of capacitive pressure sensors arranged in a 2-D array and applies the charge sharing principle to each capacitive pressure sensor for signal reading. The main structure of each pressure sensor is a pair of plate electrodes with an air gap between them to form a plate sensor capacitor, wherein the plate electrodes comprise a floating electrode and a fixed electrode. When the finger ridge contacts the floating electrode, the pressure from the finger changes the spacing of the air gap so as to change the capacitance of the plate sensor capacitor. The 2-D sensor array can read the 2-D pressure distribution pressed by the finger ridge to construct the fingerprint pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a miniaturized infrared gas analyzing apparatus, which is composed of various kinds of micro elements (e.g., infrared light source, tunable filter, and thermal detector) fabricated by means of silicon micromachining technology so as to meet the requirements of low power consumption and low cost and apply to qualitative and quantitative analysis of infrared absorption spectra of various kinds of gases. The miniaturized infrared gas analyzing apparatus comprises an infrared emitting unit, an infrared collimator, a bandpass and spatial filter, a tunable filter unit, a sensing unit, and a microprocessing unit. The infrared emitting unit utilizes the blackbody radiation principle of thermo-resistive filament to radiate out a wide infrared spectrum and serves as a point light source. The infrared collimator converts the infrared emitting unit into a collimated infrared light beam.

Abstract: A thermopile infrared sensor includes a substrate, at least one thermocouple cantilever beam comprising at least one thermocouple, and a suspending membrane. The cantilever beam is formed above the substrate. The cantilever beam has a first end and a second end located away from the first end. The first end is attached to the substrate to form a cold junction. A predetermined distance is formed between the second end and the substrate. The suspending membrane is formed above the cantilever beam and is supported by the second end of the cantilever beam to form a hot junction. The cantilever beam is completely hidden underneath or covered by the suspending membrane. In addition, an integrated circuit, which is underneath the suspending membrane, can be integrated with the thermopile infrared sensor.

Abstract: A thermoelectric sensor device is disclosed consisting of polysilicon, titanium or AlSiCu as the thermocouple of material for thermoelectric sensor device. The features of the present process are: Selecting a material such as aluminum, titanium, aluminum alloy or titanium alloy with lower thermal conductivity coefficient as thermocouple element line and making use of zigzag structure with thermocouple element line, and increasing the length of thermocouple element line. Employing front side Si bulk etching technique to etch the silicon substrate, which is under the device and empty of silicon substrate, so as to reduce the superficial measure of thermoelectric sensor module and increase the throughout of the silicon wafer. Simultaneously, fabricating a resistor to treat as a heater on the membrane for adjusting the device.