Deep Temperature Measurement With Thin-Film Thermistors for Fast Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deep temperature measuring devices face challenges with low precision, accuracy, and slow responsiveness due to the use of bulk-structured negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors with high heat capacity and limited temperature responsiveness.
Innovation Solution
A deep temperature measuring device utilizing thin film thermistors with a heating element layer and control thin film thermistors, sandwiched by heat-insulating layers, to achieve thermal equilibrium for precise and rapid temperature measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a chip-type bulk-structured NTC thermistor is used as the thermosensitive element, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the heat capacity is large and temperature responsiveness is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the bulk-structured chip thermistor with a thin-film thermistor that is formed by depositing a thermistor-forming layer on a substrate and then patterning it. This thin-film structure dramatically reduces the heat capacity while maintaining the negative temperature coefficient characteristic, thereby achieving fast temperature responsiveness without sacrificing manufacturability through standard thin-film fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical form parameter of the thermistor from bulk/chip structure to thin-film structure. This parameter change reduces the thermal mass and heat capacity of the thermosensitive element, enabling it to respond rapidly to temperature changes in the measured object while maintaining electrical resistance characteristics suitable for temperature sensing.
2Measurement precision
If heat-insulating layers are added to achieve thermal equilibrium between measurement and control thermosensitive elements, then measurement precision and accuracy improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces heat-insulating layers as intermediary elements positioned between the measurement thermosensitive element and the control thermosensitive element. These heat-insulating layers prevent unwanted heat transfer between the two elements, ensuring that each element independently reaches thermal equilibrium with its respective environment (measurement object or heating element), thereby improving measurement precision and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the thermal pathways by inserting heat-insulating layers that divide the heat flow paths between the measurement and control thermosensitive elements. This segmentation ensures independent thermal zones, allowing the measurement element to accurately reflect the temperature of the measured object while the control element independently controls the heating element, thus improving measurement accuracy without excessive complexity.
3Speed
If thin film thermistors are used to achieve high-speed responsiveness, then temperature measurement speed improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical form from bulk to thin-film, which inherently reduces thermal mass and improves responsiveness. The thin-film fabrication process uses standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques including sputtering or chemical vapor deposition followed by photolithographic patterning, which provide excellent control over film thickness and pattern dimensions, thereby achieving high manufacturing precision suitable for thin-film structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/chip-based thermistor fabrication with thin-film deposition and patterning processes. This substitution enables precise control of the thermistor layer thickness and geometry through vapor-phase deposition and photolithography, achieving the required manufacturing precision for thin-film structures while enabling rapid temperature response due to the reduced thermal mass.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-precision, high-accuracy, and high-speed responsiveness in measuring deep temperatures by using thin film thermistors and enhanced thermal insulation, reducing response time and minimizing environmental heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
a measurement thin film thermistor capable of measuring temperature by the thermosensitive part being brought into contact with a measured object
Implementation Method 2
a heating element layer that heats the measurement thin film thermistor
Implementation Method 3
detecting, by the control thin film thermistor, heat radiated from the measurement thin film thermistor
Implementation Method 4
a first heat-insulating layer with the measurement thin film thermistor and a second heat-insulating layer that covers the heating element layer
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a deep temperature measuring device and a deep temperature measuring method capable of measuring a deep temperature of a measured object with high precision, high accuracy, and high-speed responsiveness. The above-described problem is solved by a deep temperature measuring device comprising a thermosensitive part (Ts) that senses temperature, a measurement thin film thermistor capable of measuring temperature by the thermosensitive part (Ts) being brought into contact with a measured object, a heating element layer that heats the measurement thin film thermistor, a control thin film thermistor disposed sandwiching a first heat-insulating layer with the measurement thin film thermistor and the control thin film thermistor and configured to control a temperature of the heating element layer so that the temperature is equal to a temperature of the measurement thin film thermistor, and a second heat-insulating layer that covers the heating element layer.