Pressure sensor and electronic device comprising a pressure sensor

• US 10,060,818 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yuzawa, Akiko, Tomizawa, Yasushi, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Hara, Michiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JAMEL E
• Application Number:
  US15/440,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20180058965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0044 Constructional details of non-semiconductive diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0055 bonded on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/008 using piezoelectric devices piezoelectric resonators G01L9/0022; surface acoustic waves G01L9/0025
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/16 by making use of variations in the magnetic properties of material resulting from the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/00 Piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N39/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/1051 based on piezoelectric or electrostrictive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/85 Piezoelectric or electrostrictive active materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/853 Ceramic compositions
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/8536 Alkaline earth metal based oxides, e.g. barium titanates
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/8554 Lead zirconium titanate based
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/8561 Bismuth based oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 35/85 Magnetostrictive active materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/80 Constructional details

Abstract

A sensor includes a first film, a first sensor portion, and a first element portion. The first film is deformable. The first sensor portion is provided at the first film. The first sensor portion includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first film and the first magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The first element portion includes a first piezoelectric layer fixed to the first film.

Claims

1. A sensor, comprising:

a first film, the first film being deformable;

a first sensor portion provided at the first film, the first sensor portion including

a first magnetic layer,

a second magnetic layer provided between the first film and the first magnetic layer, and

a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a first element portion including a first piezoelectric layer fixed to the first film.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first element portion has a first state and a second state, a first signal being input in the first state, the second state being different from the first state, and

a shape of the first film in the first state is different from a shape of the first film in the second state.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, further comprising a controller being electrically connected to the first element portion and configured to supply the first signal to the first element portion.

4. The sensor according to claim 3, wherein the controller sets the first signal according to an electrical resistance between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first element portion is provided at the first film.

6. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first piezoelectric layer overlaps the first film in a first direction connecting the first film and the first sensor portion.

7. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the first magnetic layer is provided between the first film and at least a portion of the first piezoelectric layer in the first direction.

8. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the first piezoelectric layer is provided between the first film and at least a portion of the first magnetic layer in the first direction.

9. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the first film is provided between at least a portion of the first magnetic layer and at least a portion of the first piezoelectric layer in the first direction.

10. The sensor according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second sensor portion provided at the first film, the second sensor portion including

a third magnetic layer,

a fourth magnetic layer provided between the first film and the third magnetic layer, and

a second intermediate layer provided between the third magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer; and

a second element portion including a second piezoelectric layer overlapping the first film in the first direction,

the second sensor portion being separated from the first sensor portion in a second direction crossing the first direction,

the first element portion being arranged with at least a portion of the first sensor portion in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction,

the second element portion being arranged with at least a portion of the second sensor portion in the third direction.

11. The sensor according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second film, the second film being deformable;

a second sensor portion provided at the second film, the second sensor portion including

a third magnetic layer,

a fourth magnetic layer provided between the second film and the third magnetic layer, and

a second intermediate layer provided between the third magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer; and

a second element portion including a second piezoelectric layer overlapping the second film in the first direction,

the second film being arranged with the first film in a direction crossing the first direction,

at least a portion of the first element portion being arranged with the first sensor portion in the direction crossing the first direction,

at least a portion of the second element portion being arranged with the second sensor portion in the direction crossing the first direction.

12. A sensor comprising:

a first film, the first film being deformable;

a first opposing film;

a first sensor portion provided at the first film, the first sensor portion including

a first magnetic layer,

a second magnetic layer provided between the first film and the first magnetic layer, and

a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer;

a first film electrode connected to the first film; and

a first opposing film electrode connected to the first opposing film,

the first opposing film including a portion separated from the first film in a first direction, the first direction connecting the first film and the first sensor portion.

13. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein

the first film has a first state and a second state, a first control signal being applied between the first film electrode and the first opposing film electrode in the first state, the second state being different from the first state, and

a shape of the first film in the first state is different from a shape of the first film in the second state.

14. The sensor according to claim 13, further comprising a controller being electrically connected to the first film electrode and the first opposing film electrode and configured to supply the first control signal between the first film electrode and the first opposing film electrode.

15. The sensor according to claim 14, wherein the controller controls the first control signal according to an electrical resistance between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

16. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein

the first opposing film has at least one of

a thickness thicker than a thickness of the first film, or

an elastic modulus higher than an elastic modulus of the first film.

17. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein

the first opposing film includes:

a first material portion; and

a second material portion overlapping the first material portion in the first direction and including a material different from the first material portion.

18. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein the first opposing film has a hole piercing the first opposing film in the first direction.

19. The sensor according to claim 12, further comprising:

a second film, the second film being deformable; and

a second sensor portion provided at the second film, the second sensor portion including

a third magnetic layer,

a fourth magnetic layer provided between the second film and the third magnetic layer, and

a second intermediate layer provided between the third magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer,

the first opposing film overlapping the second film in the first direction.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

a sensor; and

a housing,

the sensor including;

a first film, the first film being deformable;

a first sensor portion provided at the first film, the first sensor portion including

a first magnetic layer,

a second magnetic layer provided between the first film and the first magnetic layer; and

a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a first element portion including a first piezoelectric layer fixed to the first film.