Thermal sensors based on the seebeck effect

The thermoelectric effects in metals and semiconductors are reviewed and particular attention is devoted to the Seebeck effect in silicon and its possible exploitation for thermal sensing. For this purpose, an analysis of the performance of integrated silicon thermopiles is presented. Several thermal sensors that measure magnetic, mechanical, radiation and chemical signals, as well as electrical converters, are reviewed. Many of the devices described are fabricated by integrated circuit (IC) technology, which makes them very attractive, since they can be batch-fabricated and on-chip signal conditioning-electronics added.