Pressure sensor and microphone

• US 10,082,430 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Enamito, Akihiko, Nishimura, Osamu, Hara, Michiko, Yuasa, Hiromi, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Kii, Masayuki, Fujisawa, Eizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US15/671,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20170356810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 73779
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/12 by measuring variations in the magnetic properties of materials resulting from the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/125 by using magnetostrictive means magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/005 Non square semiconductive 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

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a pressure sensor includes a base, and a first sensor unit. The first sensor unit includes a first transducer thin film, a first strain sensing device and a second strain sensing device. The first strain sensing device includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first and the second magnetic layers. The second strain sensing device is provided apart from the first strain sensing device on the first membrane surface and provided at a location different from a location of the barycenter, the second strain sensing device including a third magnetic layer, a fourth magnetic layer, and a second intermediate layer provided between the third and the fourth magnetic layers, the first and the second intermediate layers being nonmagnetic. The first and the second strain sensing devices, and the barycenter are in a straight line.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

a base;

a first sensor unit provided on the base;

a second sensor unit provided at a location on the base different from a location of the first sensor unit;

the first sensor unit including;

a first transducer thin film having a first membrane surface, the first transducer thin film being flexible;

a first strain sensing device provided at a location on the first membrane surface different from a location of a barycenter of the first membrane surface, the first strain sensing device including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

the second sensor unit including;

a second transducer thin film having a second membrane surface, the second transducer thin film being flexible; and

a third strain sensing device provided on the second membrane surface, the third strain sensing device including a fifth magnetic layer, a sixth magnetic layer, and a third intermediate layer provided between the fifth magnetic layer and the sixth magnetic layer, the third intermediate layer being nonmagnetic,

a width of the second transducer thin film passing through a barycenter of the second membrane surface of the second transducer thin film along a direction parallel with the second membrane surface being different from a width of the first transducer thin film passing through the barycenter of the first membrane surface of the first transducer thin film along a direction parallel with the first membrane surface.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first intermediate layer is nonmagnetic.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor unit further includes a fixing unit connected to an edge portion of the first transducer thin film and configured to fix the edge portion to the base.

4. The sensor according to claim 3, wherein the fixing unit fixes a part of the edge portion of the first transducer thin film to the base, and the part is located in a straight line passing the first strain sensing device and the barycenter.

5. The sensor according to claim 3, wherein the fixing unit continuously fixes the edge portion of the first transducer thin film to the base.

6. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a processing circuit configured to process a first signal obtained from the first strain sensing device and a second signal obtained from the third strain sensing device.

7. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform at least one of an adding process of the first signal and the second signal, a subtracting process of the first signal and the second signal, and a multiplying process of the first signal and the second signal.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a length of the first strain sensing device along a direction perpendicular to a direction from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer is 0.5 μ

m or more and 20 μ

m or less.

9. A microphone comprising a pressure sensor including:

a base;

a first sensor unit provided on the base,

a second sensor unit provided at a location on the base different from a location of the first sensor unit;

the first sensor unit including;

a first transducer thin film having a first membrane surface, the first transducer thin film being flexible;

a first strain sensing device provided at a location on the first membrane surface different from a location of a barycenter of the first membrane surface, the first strain sensing device including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

the second sensor unit including;

a second transducer thin film having a second membrane surface, the second transducer thin film being flexible; and

a third strain sensing device provided on the second membrane surface, the third strain sensing device including a fifth magnetic layer, a sixth magnetic layer, and a third intermediate layer provided between the fifth magnetic layer and the sixth magnetic layer, the third intermediate layer being nonmagnetic,

a width of the second transducer thin film passing through a barycenter of the second membrane surface of the second transducer thin film along a direction parallel with the second membrane surface being different from a width of the first transducer thin film passing through the barycenter of the first membrane surface of the first transducer thin film along a direction parallel with the first membrane surface.

10. The microphone according to claim 9, wherein the first intermediate layer is nonmagnetic.