Patent · US Expired

Capacitance pressure sensor

US6012336A · kind A · utility

160Cited by
23References
70Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 7, 1998
Grant dateJan 11, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 7, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB81C2203/0728
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A microelectromechanical (MEM) capacitance pressure sensor integrated with electronic circuitry on a common substrate and a method for forming such a device are disclosed. The MEM capacitance pressure sensor includes a capacitance pressure sensor formed at least partially in a cavity etched below the surface of a silicon substrate and adjacent circuitry (CMOS, BiCMOS, or bipolar circuitry) formed on the substrate. By forming the capacitance pressure sensor in the cavity, the substrate can be planarized (e.g. by chemical-mechanical polishing) so that a standard set of integrated circuit processing steps can be used to form the electronic circuitry (e.g. using an aluminum or aluminum-alloy interconnect metallization).

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