High-frequency thin-film multijunction thermal converter on a quartz crystal chip

The design of a new planar or thin-film multijunction thermal converter (PMJTC) on a quartz chip results in improved performance for frequencies higher than 100 kHz due to smaller dielectric losses and higher insulation resistance in the quartz membrane and the quartz chip. The window with the membrane is anisotropically etched into the quartz crystal chip. The temperature of the heater is radiometrically sensed with a thin-film infrared sensor. At frequencies higher than 100 kHz the ac-dc voltage transfer differences are one order smaller than with the standard PMJTC with the Si/sub 3/N/sub 4//SiO/sub 2//Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ sandwich membrane on a silicon chip.