US 12,235,170 B2
Sensor and method for detecting guided thermal radiation
Gerald Stocker, Finkenstein (AT); Elmar Aschauer, Ledenitzen (AT); Ulf Bartl, Villach (AT); Thomas Grille, Nötsch (AT); Christoph Kovatsch, Finkenstein (AT); and Thomas Krotscheck Ostermann, Velden am Wörthersee (AT)
Assigned to Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed by Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed on Apr. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/658,564.
Claims priority of application No. 21177125 (EP), filed on Jun. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0381753 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 33/00 (2006.01); G01J 5/02 (2022.01); G01J 5/0802 (2022.01); G01J 5/0818 (2022.01); G01J 5/10 (2006.01); G01K 7/01 (2006.01); G01N 21/3504 (2014.01)
CPC G01K 7/01 (2013.01) [G01J 5/022 (2013.01); G01J 5/0802 (2022.01); G01J 5/0818 (2013.01); G01J 5/10 (2013.01); G01N 21/3504 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid sensor comprising:
a support structure having a top main surface region, wherein the top main surface region of the support structure forms a common system plane of the fluid sensor;
a thermal emitter on the top main surface region of the support structure, wherein the thermal emitter is configured to emit thermal radiation in at least two different radiation emission directions parallel to the common system plane;
a thermal radiation detector on the top main surface region of the support structure, wherein the thermal radiation detector is configured to detect thermal radiation; and
a waveguide structure having a first and a second waveguide section on the top main surface region of the support structure, wherein the first waveguide section is operatively coupled to a first lateral side of the thermal emitter, and wherein the second waveguide section is operatively coupled to a second lateral side of the thermal emitter opposite to the first lateral side,
wherein the first waveguide section is configured to guide a first portion of the thermal radiation, emitted by the thermal emitter in a first radiation emission direction of the at least two different radiation emission directions of the thermal emitter, to the thermal radiation detector,
wherein the second waveguide section is configured to guide a second portion of the thermal radiation, emitted by the thermal emitter in a second radiation emission direction of the at least two different emission radiation directions of the thermal emitter, to the thermal radiation detector, and
wherein the waveguide structure is configured to enable an interaction of an evanescence field of the guided first and/or second portion of the thermal radiation with a surrounding fluid.