High sensitivity micro-machined pressure sensors and acoustic transducers
US6012335A · kind A · utility
95Cited by
5References
7Claims
0Family size
Assignee
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Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB81B2201/0264
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of making a pressure sensor or acoustic transducer having high sensitivity and reduced size. A thin sensing diaphragm is produced by growing a single crystal, highly doped silicon layer on a substrate using a chemical vapor deposition process. The diaphragm is incorporated into a pressure sensor or acoustic transducer which detects pressure variations by a change in the capacitance of a capacitor which includes the diaphragm as a movable member. The thin diaphragm produces a highly sensitive device which can be fabricated in a smaller size than sensors or transducers having thicker diaphragms.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.