Pressure sensor, microphone, ultrasonic sensor, blood pressure sensor, and touch panel

• US 10,206,654 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Masunishi, Kei, Yuzawa, Akiko, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Hara, Michiko, Higashi, Yoshihiro, Okamoto, Kazuaki, Otsu, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Jamel
• Application Number:
  US15/254,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20170067787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 73862632
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/44 Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0042 Constructional details associated with semiconductive diaphragm sensors, e.g. etching, or constructional details of non-semiconductive diaphragms details about the integration or bonding of piezoresistor in or on the diaphragm G01L9/0052 and G01L9/0057 respectively
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0054 integral with a semiconducting diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 15/00 Magnetostrictive transducers magnetostrictive elements in general H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/003 Mems transducers or their use of the electrostatic type H04R19/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones

Abstract

A pressure sensor of an embodiment includes a support portion, a transformable membrane part and a sensor portion. The membrane part includes an end portion supported by the support portion, and a first area and a second area. The first area is positioned between a center of the membrane part and the end portion and has a first rigidity. The second area is positioned between the first area and the end portion, and has a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity. The sensor portion is provided at the first area and includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. An end-side distance between the first area and the end portion is shorter than a center-side distance between the second area and the center of the membrane part.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

a support portion;

a transformable membrane part which includes a first end portion supported by the support portion, a first area positioned between a center of the membrane part and the first end portion and having a first rigidity, and a second area positioned between the first area and the first end portion where a sensor portion is not provided and having a second rigidity lower than the first rigidity; and

a first sensor portion which is provided at the first area and includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

wherein a first end-side distance between the first area and the first end portion is shorter than a first center-side distance between the second area and the center of the membrane part where the first sensor portion is provided, and a sensor portion other than the first sensor portion is not provided at the second area.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the second area is thinner than a thickness of the first area.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein a Young'"'"'s modulus of the second area is lower than a Young'"'"'s modulus of the first area.

4. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second area has a corrugated shape.

5. The pressure sensor according to claim 1,

wherein a first length of the membrane part along a first in-plane direction which is perpendicular to a stacking direction from the first area toward the first sensor portion is shorter than a second length of the membrane part along a second in-plane direction which is perpendicular to the stacking direction and the first in-plane direction,

the membrane part includes a first side along the first in-plane direction and a second side along the second in-plane direction, and

the second area extends along the first side and the second side.

6. A microphone comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

7. An ultrasonic sensor comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

8. A blood pressure sensor comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

9. A touch panel comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

10. A pressure sensor comprising:

a support portion;

a membrane part which has flexibility and includes a first end portion supported by the support portion, a first area positioned between a center of the membrane part and the first end portion, and a second area positioned between the first area and the first end portion where a sensor portion is not provided; and

a first sensor portion which is provided at the first area and includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

wherein the second area includes a first portion which extends in a first direction from the center toward the first end portion and a second portion which is connected to the first portion and extends in a second direction from the first area toward the first sensor portion, and

a first end-side distance between the first area and the first end portion is shorter than a first center-side distance between the second area and the center of the membrane part.

11. The pressure sensor according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of first portions including the first portion and extending in the first direction are provided in the second area, and the second portion is provided between the first portions.

12. The pressure sensor according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of first portions including the first portion and extending in the first direction and a plurality of second portions including the second portion and extending in the second direction are provided in the second area, and the first portions and the second portions are alternately arranged.

13. The pressure sensor according to claim 12, wherein the second area has a corrugated shape configured by the first portions and the second portions.

14. The pressure sensor according to claim 10, wherein a planar shape of the membrane part is one of a rectangle, a square, a polygon, a circle, or an elongated circle.

15. The pressure sensor according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of first sensor portions including the first sensor portion are provided in the first area, and at least two of the first sensor portions are aligned in a direction intersecting the first direction.

16. The pressure sensor according to claim 10,

wherein a first length of the membrane part along a first in-plane direction which is perpendicular to a stacking direction from the first area toward the first sensor portion is shorter than a second length of the membrane part along a second in-plane direction which is perpendicular to the stacking direction and the first in-plane direction,

the membrane part includes a first side along the first in-plane direction and a second side along the second in-plane direction, and

the second area extends along the first side and the second side.

17. A microphone comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 10.

18. An ultrasonic sensor comprising the pressure sensor according claim 10.

19. A blood pressure sensor comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 10.

20. A touch panel comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 10.