Patent ID: 7785002

Claim:
A thermal detector comprising: a substrate defining a cavity: a diaphragm having a first portion positioned over the cavity for receiving thermal energy, and a second portion at a perimeter of the diaphragm supported by the substrate; and at least one thermocouple material pair, formed from a single sheet of material, comprising dissimilar electrically conductive materials, wherein the dissimilar materials include a P-doped and N-doped junction electrically isolated via a depletion region, and the at least one thermocouple material pair is created by depositing poly-silicon by chemical vapor deposition, implanting a P-type dopant, depositing a sacrificial silicon dioxide on the P-type doped polysilicon, photolithographically forming a proposed P-type dissimilar area and a proposed N-type dissimilar area, removing the sacrificial silicon dioxide by etching, and thermally depositing an N-type dopant on the proposed N-type dissimilar area, wherein the at least one thermocouple material pair extends from the diaphragm to the substrate, defining a hot junction located on the first portion of the diaphragm and a cold junction located on the second portion of the diaphragm, and wherein the at least one thermocouple material pair is electrically connected forming at least one thermocouple.