US3568010A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Thin film capacitive bolometer and temperature sensor
Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Filing: 1969-02-14
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Granted: 1971-03-02
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Expires: 1989-02-14
Abstract
Abstract An improved capacitive element which exhibits a useful change of capacitance with temperature is provided by increasing the effective space-charge barrier by evaporating thinner layers of an insulating metal oxide over both sides of a film of material capable of displaying dielectric properties disposed between two metal electrodes, or by employing a thicker film of anodized metal oxide which contains less ionic space charge than the corresponding film of material used in the first technique. Thermal and mechanical characteristics of devices of this type are optimized by providing a substrate of a metal first evaporated on a glass slide to form a thin foil. Once the foil has been bonded over holes on a supporting frame, the glass slide is removed, leaving a smooth surface to form the devices on. That surface may be anodized, and once the devices are formed over holes, the unanodized thickness of the foil may be etched off through the holes in the frame leaving devices supported by an anodized film of the foil material.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph Maserjian
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 11:29
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01K; G01K7/00; G01K7/34; G01K7/343; H; H01; H01G; H01G7/00; H01G7/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 1 wherein said second stated means comprises thin layers of a metal oxide disposed on each side of said film between said film and said respective electrodes, said metal oxide having greater electrical insulating properties and less ionic space-charge than said film for increasing the total effective barriers adjacent to the electrodes therewith substantially over the effective barriers of said film exclusive of the metal oxide layers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said layers is substantially thinner than said film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 2 wherein said metal oxide on one side of said film is an oxide layer of one of said metal electrode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 4 wherein said metal electrode on which said oxide layer is disposed is a metal foil supporting said device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 5 wherein said metal foil is bonded to a supporting frame.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 1 wherein said second stated means comprises additional thicknesses of said material with ionic space-charge for correspondingly increasing the total effective barriers adjacent the respective electrodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 7 wherein said film material is an anodized metal-oxide film.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 8 wherein said anodized metal-oxide film is selected from a group consisting of Al2O3, Ta2O5, ZrO5 and Nb2O5.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 8 wherein said anodized metal is Nb2O5.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 8 wherein said metal-oxide film is anodized on the surface of one of said metal electrodes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 11 wherein said one of the metal electrodes is disposed on a supporting substrate comprising a metal foil bonded to a frame, an insulating film on the side of said foil opposite said frame, and said metal foil is removed in an area thereof exposing said insulating film.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 12 wherein said one of said metal electrodes is a metal foil supporting said device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A thin-film device as defined in claim 13 wherein said metal foil is bonded to a supporting frame.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
189 words
In a thin-film device having two parallel metal-oxide and a film of a material, having dielectric properties, disposed between said electrodes, said film including means for producing ionic space-charges therein and establishing potential energy barriers within the film, the numerical value of said barriers varying from substantially above the Fermi level at the interface of said film with the electrodes to a value approaching said Fermi level at interior regions of the film away from said interface whereby a change in capacitance between said electrodes, upon a change in temperature in said film, is proportional to the change in the effective width of said potential barriers, the improvement comprising; thin layers of an insulating metal-oxide on both sides of said material, said metal-oxide having a wide band gap, compared to the band gap of said material, with a correspondingly large barrier energy and an average barrier height near said electrodes greater than the average barrier height in additional thickness of said film material with ionic space-charges throughout, whereby the tOtal effective barrier height of said device is greater than the barrier height in a homogeneous film of said material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
131 words
In a thin-film device having two parallel electrodes and a film of a material, having dielectric properties, disposed between said electrodes, said film including means for producing distributed ionic space-charges therein and establishing potential energy barriers within the film, the numerical value of said barriers varying from substantially above the Fermi level at the interface of said film with the electrodes to a value approaching said Fermi level at interior regions of the film away from said interface whereby a change in capacitance between said electrodes, upon a change in temperature in said film, is proportional to the change in the effective width of said potential barriers, the improvement comprising; an adjustment in the thickness of, said thin-film material between said electrodes for controlling the effective value of said potential barriers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The improvement defined in claim 16 wherein said thin-film material is selected from a group consisting of Al2O3, Ta2O5, ZrO5 and Nb2O5.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The improvement defined in claim 17 wherein said thin-film material is an anodized metal-oxide film.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The improvement defined in claim 16 wherein said thin-film material is Nb2O5.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The improvement defined in claim 16 wherein said thin-film is anodized on one of said electrodes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
161 words
In a thin-film device having two parallel electrodes and a film of a material, having dielectric properties, disposed between said electrodes, said film including means for producing distributed ionic space-charges therein and establishing potential energy barriers within the film, the numerical value of said barriers varying from substantially above the Fermi level at the interface of said film the electrodes to a value approaching said Fermi level at interior regions of the film away from said interface whereby a change in capacitance between said electrodes, upon a change in temperature in said film, is proportional to the change in the effective width of said potential barriers, the improvement comprising; a substrate beneath said device, said substrate including a metal foil member and a thin supporting insulating film formed on a side of said foil, one side of said formed film being joined to said device and the other side thereof having at least a substantial area free of said foil metal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The improvement defined in claim 21 wherein said metal foil is bonded to a supporting frame.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The improvement defined in claim 22 wherein said insulating film comprises a metal-oxide.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The improvement defined in claim 23 wherein said metal-oxide film is anodized on said metal foil.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
125 words
In a thin-film device having two parallel electrodes and a film of a material, having dielectric properties, disposed between said electrodes, said film including means for producing distributed ionic space-charges therein and establishing potential energy barriers within the film, the numerical value of said barriers varying from substantially above the Fermi level at the interface of said film with the electrodes to a value approaching said Fermi level at interior regions of the film away from said interface whereby a change in capacitance between said electrodes, upon a change in temperature in said film, is proportional to the change in the effective width of said potential barriers, the improvement comprising; one of said electrodes being a metal foil forming a substrate support for said device.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
The improvement defined in claim 25 wherein said metal foil is bonded to a supporting frame.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
47 words
The improvement defined in claim 26 wherein said metal foil is selected from a group consisting of Ti, A1, Ta and Nb, and wherein said metal foil is anodized to form a thin insulating film with an unanodized part of the foil serving as said one electrode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-01 | 1974-08-31 | 1975-03-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-01 | 1978-08-31 | 1979-03-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-01 | 1982-08-31 | 1983-03-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |