Differential Temperature Sensor Thermal Bridge Reduction

The patent introduces a thermally-insulating support member as an intermediary between the sensor chip and the integrated circuit package. This support member has thermally-insulating legs that contact the package at discrete points, providing mechanical support and electrical connection while minimizing thermal conduction paths that would cause heat loss. The metal connection means provide necessary thermal conduction only where needed for sensor operation, creating controlled thermal pathways rather than allowing unrestricted heat loss to the package.

The support member is segmented into multiple thermally-insulating legs distributed around the sensor chip. This segmentation creates discrete thermal isolation zones, allowing the sensor to maintain its thermal gradient while being mechanically supported at multiple distributed points rather than through a continuous thermal path. The segmentation enables selective thermal conduction through the metal connection means while insulating the rest of the structure.

The patent extracts the sensor chip from the integrated circuit manufacturing process entirely. The sensor is fabricated separately as a discrete component on its own substrate with its own support structure, then mounted as a complete assembly onto the integrated circuit package. This extraction eliminates the need to integrate thermoelectric layers during the semiconductor fabrication process, avoiding the complexity of coordinating multiple manufacturing processes with different requirements and constraints.

The support member acts as an intermediary mounting structure that simplifies integration. It provides a standardized interface between the sensor chip and the integrated circuit package, handling both mechanical support and electrical connections through its metal connection means. This intermediary structure absorbs the integration complexity, allowing the sensor and circuit to be manufactured independently and then easily assembled together without requiring complex co-integration processes.

The support member is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the sensor chip, provides electrical connections through its metal connection means, provides thermal insulation through its thermally-insulating legs, and provides structural attachment to the integrated circuit package. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single component, the patent reduces the number of separate structural elements needed, thereby reducing overall structural complexity while achieving effective heat loss reduction.

The support member is constructed as a composite structure combining thermally-insulating materials (such as ceramics or polymers) for the legs with thermally-conductive metal materials for the connection means. This composite construction allows different portions of the same component to have opposite thermal properties, achieving heat loss reduction through the insulating portions while maintaining necessary thermal conduction through the metal portions, all within a single integrated structural element.