OPTIMAL-DESIGN AND NOISE CONSIDERATIONS OF CMOS COMPATIBLE IR THERMOELECTRIC SENSORS

The paper presents a new optimization methodology for integrated therm oelectric sensors. A steady-state and time-dependent analytical model of the signal and noise of the microsystem is presented and the figure s of merit of the microsystem are defined. A qualitative and quantitat ive study of the system performance is conducted with respect to ambie nt pressure, the number of thermocouples and conducting lead width. A design chart for the sensors' optimization is presented, through which the performance envelope is defined with respect to the NEP (noise eq uivalent power) and the time constant of the microsystem. (C) 1998 Els evier Science S.A. All rights reserved.