Abstract: A radiation sensor includes an integrated circuit radiation sensor chip (1A) including first (7) and second (8) thermopile junctions connected in series to form a thermopile (7,8) within a dielectric stack (3). The first thermopile junction (7) is insulated from a substrate (2) of the chip. A resistive heater (6) in the dielectric stack for heating the first thermopile junction is coupled to a calibration circuit (67) for calibrating responsivity of the thermopile (7,8). The calibration circuit causes a current flow in the heater and multiplies the current by a resulting voltage across the heater to determine power dissipation. A resulting thermoelectric voltage (Vout) of the thermopile (7,8) is divided by the power to provide the responsivity of the sensor.

Abstract: A radiation sensor includes an integrated circuit radiation sensor chip (1A) including first (7) and second (8) thermopile junctions connected in series to form a thermopile (7,8) within a dielectric stack (3). The first thermopile junction (7) is insulated from a substrate (2) of the chip. A resistive heater (6) in the dielectric stack for heating the first thermopile junction is coupled to a calibration circuit (67) for calibrating responsivity of the thermopile (7,8). The calibration circuit causes a current flow in the heater and multiplies the current by a resulting voltage across the heater to determine power dissipation. A resulting thermoelectric voltage (Vout) of the thermopile (7,8) is divided by the power to provide the responsivity of the sensor.

Abstract: A radiation sensor includes an integrated circuit radiation sensor chip (1A) including first (7) and second (8) thermopile junctions connected in series to form a thermopile (7,8) within a dielectric stack (3). The first thermopile junction (7) is insulated from a substrate (2) of the chip. A resistive heater (6) in the dielectric stack for heating the first thermopile junction is coupled to a calibration circuit (67) for calibrating responsivity of the thermopile (7,8). The calibration circuit causes a current flow in the heater and multiplies the current by a resulting voltage across the heater to determine power dissipation. A resulting thermoelectric voltage (Vout) of the thermopile (7,8) is divided by the power to provide the responsivity of the sensor.

Abstract: With infrared (IR) sensors, repeatability and accuracy can become an issue when there are thermal gradients between the sensor and an underlying printed circuit board (PCB). Conventionally, a large thermal mass is included in the sensor packaging to reduce the effect from such thermal gradients, but this increase costs and size of the sensor. Here, however, a PCB is provided that includes an isothermal cage included therein that generally ensures that the temperature of the underlying PCB and sensor are about the same by including structural features (namely, the isothermal cage) that generally ensure that the thermal time constant for a path from a heat source to the thermopile (which is within the sensor) is approximately the same as thermal time constants for paths through the PCB.

Abstract: A radiation sensor includes an integrated circuit radiation sensor chip (1A) including first (7) and second (8) thermopile junctions connected in series to form a thermopile (7,8) within a dielectric stack (3). The first thermopile junction (7) is insulated from a substrate (2) of the chip. A resistive heater (6) in the dielectric stack for heating the first thermopile junction is coupled to a calibration circuit (67) for calibrating responsivity of the thermopile (7,8). The calibration circuit causes a current flow in the heater and multiplies the current by a resulting voltage across the heater to determine power dissipation. A resulting thermoelectric voltage (Vout) of the thermopile (7,8) is divided by the power to provide the responsivity of the sensor.

Abstract: In conventional membrane infrared (IR) sensors, little to no attention has been paid toward transmissivity of IR near metal traces. Here, because the substrate of an integrated circuit carrying the sensor is used as a visible light filter, reflection of IR radiation back into the substrate can affect the operation and reliability of the IR sensor. As a result, an arrangement is provided that reduces the area occupied by metal lines by reducing the pitch and compacting the routing so as to reduce the effects from the reflection of IR radiation by metal traces.