Design and Fabrication of a Temperature Sensor Based on Thermopile in CMOS Technology

This paper describes a new geometry for integrated micromachined thermopile structures. Different arrangements for the thermocouples in proximity to the heating element are examined, to optimize the accuracy of the temperature measurement. Several design parameters including thermopile lengths, and the number of thermocouples, are examined. The test chip was designed and fabricated in CMOS technology, including the appropriate opening for post-processing micromachining. The thermopile used was fabricated with polysilicon/aluminum contacts on a silicon oxide/nitride layer provided by the CMOS process. Different microbeam and bridge membrane support structures were designed for the thermopile, in order to investigate the optimal geometry for mechanical stability and to avoid structure buckling.