A RESISTIVE TYPE RMSTODC THERMOELECTRIC CONVERTE R
Horacio V. Estrada · 2010
RMStoDC conversion is best realized through therm oelectric principles where the heating of an input resistance, proportional to the applied power (Joule effect), is measured with a temperature detecting element that is placed around or on the sides of the heating element. The converter being reported, referred to as a resistive thermoconverter, RTC, consists o f a resistive temperature detecting element fabricated using MEMS principles from the active layer of an SOIwaf er, which serves as a platform for the heating Cu:Nithin filmresistor, fabricated on top of the silicon res istor. The heater and detecting elements are separated by a thin oxide layer of a few hundred angstroms. The detecting element (silicon resistor) acts as a spatial thermal� integrator, through which other thermoelectric effects (e.g., Thomson effect) are effectively discriminated. Preliminary prototypes have been fabricated and characterized successfully. The conversion characteristics of the RTCs have been evaluated against presently used MJTC standard converters, from 0.5 V to 2 V and from 20 Hz to 1 MHz. Results indicate that the RTC may provide a good alternative for the measurement of the RMS value of ACsignals with low uncertainties. The se devices exhibit transfer are a few parts per million away from those representing the MJTC devices.