Abstract

A thermal element arrangement having a plurality of thermal elements connected in series, and in which an insulation layer has thereon a plurality of metal conductor paths situated on the semiconductor substrate. Each thermal element has one of the metal conductor paths forming a first leg and a semiconductor region forming a second leg. A thermal contact is included having a metal semiconductor contact with the respective semiconductor regions. The semiconductor substrate is less than 10 μm thick in the region where the thermal contacts which are to be heated up is located. Elsewhere, the substrate has a thickness of more than 200 μm which is in that region in which there are situated the contacts which are to be kept cold during the operation of the arrangement. One preferred arrangement has the thermal contacts to be heated during operation surrounded in a star-shaped manner by thermal contacts which are to be kept cold.