Pn Junction Adapted As Temperature Sensor Patents (Class 257/470)
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Patent number: 5977603Abstract: In a IR detector and a fabrication method thereof, the IR detector has a insulating thin film (3) made up of insulating material, many semiconductor layers (1) each having an island shape formed on the insulating thin film (3), a forward bias connection section (5) and a backward bias connection section (6) formed for each semiconductor layer (1) to be forward and backward biases to an external bias voltage, and a metal thin film (2) for electrically connecting the semiconductor layers (1) to each other through both the forward bias connection section and the backward bias connection section (5 and 6).Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 1996Date of Patent: November 2, 1999Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tomohiro Ishikawa
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Patent number: 5952728Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module having a large capacity and a curved surface which can be secured to a corresponding curved surface of a base member is manufactured by inserting N type and P type semiconductor strips into through holes formed in a honeycomb structural body, filling spaces between walls defining the through holes and the semiconductor strips with an electrically insulating filler members made of an easily deformable material such as polyimide resin and silicone resin, cutting the honeycomb structural body into a plurality of thermoelectric conversion module main bodies each having a desired surface configuration, and providing metal electrodes on both surfaces of a thermoelectric conversion module main body such that alternate N type and P type semiconductor elements are connected in cascade.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 1996Date of Patent: September 14, 1999Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yuichiro Imanishi, Makoto Miyoshi, Tetsuo Watanabe, Keiko Kushibiki, Kazuhiko Shinohara, Masakazu Kobayashi, Kenji Furuya
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Patent number: 5949121Abstract: A temperature-indicating field effect transistor (100) includes a transistor die (101) including a drain (103), a source (105), and a gate (107). A temperature measurement device (109, 111) is thermally coupled to the transistor die (101) and electrically coupled to the gate (107). A transistor package (113) encapsulates the transistor die (101) and the temperature measurement device (109, 111). The transistor package (113) has three externally accessible terminals including a first terminal (115) connected to the drain (103), a second terminal (117) connected to the source (105), and an input terminal (119) coupled to the temperature measurement device (109, 111).Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1996Date of Patent: September 7, 1999Assignee: Motorola Inc.Inventors: John R. Qualich, Charles J. Walker
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Patent number: 5869878Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a temperature detecting method wherein a temperature detecting diode is formed in the proximity of and thermally coupled to an object of temperature detection element in the form of a semiconductor element so that, even when a high power is instantaneously applied, the temperature of the object element for temperature detection can be detected with a high degree of accuracy.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1996Date of Patent: February 9, 1999Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Yuji Hasegawa
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Patent number: 5783854Abstract: Thermally isolated circuit formed on a semiconductor on insulator structure includes a semiconductor surrounded by a semiconductor outer portion with an insulator therebetween. A cavity formed in the underlying semiconductor substrate opposite to the island provides thermal isolation.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1996Date of Patent: July 21, 1998Assignee: Honeywell Inc.Inventors: Michael F. Dries, Roger L. Roisen
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Patent number: 5736769Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes an insulated gate semiconductor device used as a power device and a pn diode used as a temperature sensor on a single semiconductor substrate. Heat generated in the power device is conducted to the temperature sensor. The voltage across a forward biased pn diode fed by a constant current source is sensitive to temperature. The temperature of the power device is measured by feeding a small current from a constant current supply to the pn diode and by detecting the forward voltage of the pn diode. When the forward voltage reaches a predetermined value, an external protection circuit is activated to prevent overheating. Multiple pn diodes may be connected in series to detect the temperature of multiple power devices more accurately.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 1996Date of Patent: April 7, 1998Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Nishiura, Tatsuhiko Fujihira
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Patent number: 5726481Abstract: A power semiconductor device (e.g. MOSFET or IGBT) has a temperature sensing means in the form of thin-film sensing element (D1) on a first insulating layer (2) on the device body (10). The sensing element is preferably a reverse-biased p-n junction thin-film polycrystalline silicon diode (D1). In order to screen the sensitive element (D1) from electrical noise, an electrically conductive layer (4) is present on a second electrically insulating layer (5) over the thin-film element (D1) and forms part of an electrical screen (3,4) which is present over and under the thin-film element (D1). This electrical screen (3,4) also comprises a semiconductive region (3) underlying the thin-film element (D1), with the overlying conductive layer (4) electrically connected to the semiconductive region (3) at a window (6) in the insulating layers (2,5).Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 1996Date of Patent: March 10, 1998Assignee: U.S. Philips CorporationInventor: Paul T. Moody
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Patent number: 5629551Abstract: A semiconductor device includes on a semiconductor substrate an output transistor which is composed of a collector region, a first base region and a first emitter region, and a temperature detection transistor composed of the collector region, a second base region and a second emitter region. The output transistor is provided at a center of the collector region of the semiconductor substrate. A vacant region is formed on a center of the output transistor, and the temperature detection transistor is provided in the vacant region.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 1995Date of Patent: May 13, 1997Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hideaki Nakura, Masami Yokozawa, Kazuhiko Tsubaki, Masasuke Yoshimura
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Patent number: 5600174Abstract: Temperature-sensitive transducers and other circuitry are manufactured by an electrochemical post-processing etch on an integrated circuit fabricated using a conventional CMOS process. Tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide or another anisotropic etchant having similar characterisics is used to selectively etch exposed front-side regions of a p-type silicon substrate, leaving n-type wells suspended from oxide beams. Circuits in the n-wells are thermally and electrically insulated from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 1994Date of Patent: February 4, 1997Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leeland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: Richard J. Reay, Erno H. Klaassen
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Patent number: 5578864Abstract: A thermoelectric semiconductor material is disclosed. The material comprises a double oxide which contains antimony and has a trirutile crystal structure.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 1995Date of Patent: November 26, 1996Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha OharaInventors: Yasuo Ochi, Kazuo Ohara
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Patent number: 5521421Abstract: In a semiconductor device with a power element on a substrate, a temperature monitor element is formed on the same substrate. In case of thermal overload in the power element, a signal from the temperature monitor element can be used for turning the power element off. For enhanced temperature response, the temperature monitor element is in part surrounded by the power element or/and disposed beneath an integrated, thermally conductive extension of an electrode of the power element.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 1994Date of Patent: May 28, 1996Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Shoichi Furuhata
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Patent number: 5500547Abstract: A two-way conductive directional circuit formed in a polycrystalline silicon layer separated by an insulation film from a semiconductive element is one-way biased for sensing a temperature of the semiconductive element. The directional circuit may be provided with a bias in either conductive direction thereof for sensing a temperature of the semiconductive element, before being provided with a bias in the other conductive direction thereof for sensing the temperature of the semiconductive element.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1994Date of Patent: March 19, 1996Assignee: NEC CorporationInventors: Kazumi Yamaguchi, Masami Sawada, Manabu Yamada, Keizo Hagimoto
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Patent number: 5461252Abstract: A semiconductor device includes on a semiconductor substrate an output transistor which is composed of a collector region, a first base region and a first emitter region, and a temperature detection transistor composed of the collector region, a second base region and a second emitter region. The output transistor is provided at a center of the collector region of the semiconductor substrate. A vacant region is formed on a center of the output transistor, and the temperature detection transistor is provided in the vacant region.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 1995Date of Patent: October 24, 1995Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hideaki Nakura, Masami Yokozawa, Kazuhiko Tsubaki, Masasuke Yoshimura
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Patent number: 5439528Abstract: A thermoelement (leg) of a thermocouple for use in peltier heating or generation of power by the Seebeck effect including a plurality of interleaved films wherein compositions of neighboring films are selected to create Kapitza boundaries between the films such as to reduce thermal conductivity but provide adequate electrical conductivity. The plurality of interleaved films includes a semiductor with suitable doping to establish required extrinsic conductivity and metals having dissimilar lattices such as aluminum and tungsten abutting one another. The practical number of films in the composite to establish the effect is ten. A preferred thickness of the films is less than twenty thousand Angstroms.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1994Date of Patent: August 8, 1995Inventor: Joel Miller
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Patent number: 5430322Abstract: A thermoelectric element sheet includes at least two layered structures having a plurality of thermoelectric elements which are arranged between insulating films. In each layered structure the thermoelectric semiconductors are arranged in pairs and electrodes connect the thermoelectric semiconductors of each pair to provide a plurality of structural units. Further electrodes connect the structural units. The thermoelectric element sheet can be used in thermoelectric energy conversion systems which depend on the Seebeck, Peltier or Thomson effect to convert thermal energy to electrical energy or vice versa.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 1994Date of Patent: July 4, 1995Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science and TechnologyInventors: Tadamasa Koyanagi, Tsunehiro Oohira
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Patent number: 5415699Abstract: A superlattice comprising alternating layers of (PbTeSe).sub.m and (BiSb).sub.n (where m and n are the number of PbTeSe and BiSb monolayers per superlattice period, respectively) having engineered electronic structures for improved thermoelectric cooling materials (and other uses) may be grown by molecular beam epitaxial growth. Preferably, for short periods, n+m<50. However, superlattice films with 10,000 or more such small periods may be grown. For example, the superlattice may comprise alternating layers of (PbTe.sub.1-z Se.sub.z).sub.m and (Bi.sub.x Sb.sub.1-x).sub.n. According to a preferred embodiment, the superlattice comprises a plurality of layers comprising m layers of PbTe.sub.0.8 Se.sub.0.2 and n layers of Bi.sub.0.9 Sb.sub.0.1, where m and n are preferably between 2 and 20.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 1993Date of Patent: May 16, 1995Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventor: Theodore Harman
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Patent number: 5389813Abstract: This invention relates to a power semiconductor device with a temperature sensor (32). The power semiconductor device (36), such as a power transistor, comprises a plurality of power device cells (108). The temperature sensor comprises a temperature sensing diode (34) implemented in at least one of the power device cell (108) such that the power device cell and sensing diode have a common conduction region (102), whereby the temperature sensor can directly sense the temperature of the power device cell.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1992Date of Patent: February 14, 1995Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventor: Walter Schwob
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Patent number: 5362980Abstract: A semiconductor component is formed by an insulated gate field effect device having a semiconductor body with a first region of one conductivity type adjacent one major surface, a second region defining a conduction channel area separating a third region from the first region, an insulated gate adjoining the conduction channel area for controlling current flow between the first and third regions and an injection region for injecting opposite conductivity type charge carriers into the first region, and a protection device for limiting the current through the insulated gate field effect device. The protection device is formed by a fourth region of the opposite conductivity type formed within the first region, a fifth region separated from the first region by the fourth region, a first conductive path connecting the fifth region to the insulated gate for allowing the flow of one conductivity type charge carriers towards the insulated gate and a second conductive path connected to the fourth region.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 1993Date of Patent: November 8, 1994Assignee: U.S. Philips CorporationInventor: Paul A. Gough
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Patent number: 5304837Abstract: A temperature sensor is monolithically integrated in a semiconductor body together with a vertical power semiconductor structure. The power semiconductor structure is formed of a plurality of power cells. The temperature sensor is formed of two sensor cells that can be manufactured simultaneously with the power cells. The advantage of the invention is that a highly sensitive temperature sensor can be manufactured in process-compatible fashion together with a vertical power semiconductor structure without additional steps and in a cost-beneficial way.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 1992Date of Patent: April 19, 1994Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Christofer Hierold
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Patent number: 5245510Abstract: A hybrid integrated circuit device has a primary heat sink and a secondary heat sink. A heat-generating semiconductor chip is mounted on the primary heat sink. A thermocouple is embedded in a portion of the primary heat sink immediately below a heat-generating portion of the semiconductor chip. The thermocouple measures the temperature of the heat-generating portion of the semiconductor chip with a high degree of accuracy. Power supplied to the semiconductor chip is controlled in accordance with the measured temperature of the heat-generating portion of the semiconductor chip, thus enabling the semiconductor chip to operate at its full output performance without risk of breakdown due to overheating.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 1992Date of Patent: September 14, 1993Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ziro Honda