New Generation of Crystal Quartz Thin-Film Multijunction Thermal Converters
The design of a new generation of planar multijunction thermal converters (PMJTCs) on quartz membranes and on quartz crystal chips improves the frequency response of the PMJTC in the frequency range from 100 kHz to 100 MHz and allows a decrease in the uncertainties. For a heater resistance of 1 kOmega ac-dc voltage transfer differences smaller than 5 muV/V are calculated for frequencies above 100 kHz up to 1 MHz. This is a reduction of more than one order of magnitude in the ac-dc voltage transfer differences for such high heater resistance in comparison to the PMJTCs with Si3N4/SiO2/Si3N4 sandwich membrane on a silicon chip. The quartz PMJTCs allow the improvement of the standard uncertainties to 3 muV/V in the frequency range of 100-500 kHz and 5 muV/V for 700 kHz to 1 MHz. The model for calculating the ac-dc voltage transfer differences and the uncertainty budget are given
Modelling of thermopile-based MEMS sensors using analytical and numerical techniques
In this paper the thermoelectrical behavior of thermopile-based MEMS sensors is reported using analytical and numerical techniques. It is also shown that experimental results for specific sensors are in excellent agreement with simulation data obtained both with the self developed 1D analytical model as well as the commercial simulation software package CoventorWare. With the aid of the simulation tools optimization of sensor design and fabrication procedure can be achieved.
Complex Systems Architecture Framework: Extension to Multi-objective Optimization
This paper shows the utility to follow an architecture framework in order to design complex systems with a holistic approach. Multi-objective Optimization techniques extend and complete the architecture framework to support trade-off analysis and decision making in the Systems Engineering design process. The merging and combination of these two approaches, decision making and systems engineering, contribute to the efficient design of systems by helping to meet needs and constraints stemming mainly from the system analysis.