Patent ID: 7875791

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a thermopile carrier chip comprising a plurality of thermocouples, the method comprising: on a first surface of a first substrate comprising a first material, providing a plurality of first-type thermocouple legs; thereafter removing part of the first material from a second surface opposite to the first surface to form a first carrier frame from the first substrate, the first carrier frame comprising a first hot carrier part, a first cold carrier part, and first removable beams, wherein the first hot carrier part, the first cold carrier part, and the first removable beams comprise a contiguous structure made of the first material, and wherein the first-type thermocouple legs are at least partially released from the first material of the first substrate, the first-type thermocouple legs being attached between the first hot carrier part and the first cold carrier part; and electrically connecting the plurality of first-type thermocouple legs with a plurality of second-type thermocouple legs, thereby forming an electrical series connection of alternating first-type thermocouple legs and second-type thermocouple legs.