Simulation Results of Prospective Next Generation 3-D Thermopile Sensor and Array Circuitry Options

This article presents the simulation results and design rules of a new sensor for infrared (IR)-detection using the thermoelectric effect. Within the Seebeck effect, thermopiles generate a voltage based on a temperature gradient inside the structure. State-of-the-art thermopiles are manufactured as 2-D structures directly on a substrate. Here, a possible method of 3-D integration is shown, where t...