Patent · US Expired

Force measurement sensor integrated on silicon, and a method of manufacture

US4873868A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
6References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 9, 1988
Grant dateOct 17, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 9, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01P2015/0828
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A mechanical magnitude sensor integrated on silicon, and a method of manufacture. The sensor comprises a bendably deformable conductive blade (4) whose free end (43) constitutes the first plate of a variable capacitor whose fixed second plate (24) is constituted by a conductive zone formed on the silicon substrate. A JFET type structure is formed in the vicinity of the anchor point (41) of the blade (4) with a gate zone (21) situated beneath the anchor portion (41) and with drain and source zones (22, 23) being provided on either side of the gate zone (21) in order to amplify a signal representative of variations in the position of the flexible blade (4). The sensor may be used as an accelerometer or as a pressure sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.