Capacitive pressure sensor

• US 20060133006A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Shigefumi, Suto, Toshihide, Takahashi, Sasahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/283.400
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm

Abstract

A capacitive pressure sensor includes: a conductive silicon substrate having a diaphragm; an insulating substrate having a fixed electrode, the insulating substrate overlapping the conductive silicon substrate so as to be bonded thereto; and a sealed chamber formed between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode. A conductive silicon member is buried in a part of the insulating substrate, a portion of the conductive silicon member is exposed toward a surface of the insulating substrate facing the sealed chamber so as to form the fixed electrode, and another portion of the conductive silicon member is exposed toward the other surface of the insulating substrate not facing the sealed chamber so as to form a lead electrode of the fixed electrode.

Claims

1. A capacitive pressure sensor comprising:

a conductive silicon substrate having a diaphragm;

an insulating substrate having a fixed electrode, the insulating substrate overlapping the conductive silicon substrate so as to be bonded thereto; and

a sealed chamber formed between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode,

wherein a conductive silicon member is buried in a part of the insulating substrate,

a portion of the conductive silicon member is exposed toward a surface of the insulating substrate facing the sealed chamber so as to form the fixed electrode, and

another portion of the conductive silicon member is exposed toward the other surface of the insulating substrate not facing the sealed chamber so as to form a lead electrode of the fixed electrode.

2. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the conductive silicon member is buried to pass through between the surface of the insulating substrate facing the sealed chamber and the other surface of the insulating substrate not facing the sealed chamber.

3. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1,

wherein an electrode surface of the fixed electrode formed by the conductive silicon member and the surface of the insulating substrate facing the sealed chamber are located on the same plane.

4. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode surface of the fixed electrode formed by the conductive silicon member is recessed toward the lead electrode from the surface of the insulating substrate facing the sealed chamber.

5. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the sealed chamber is formed to be partitioned by only the fixed electrode, the insulating substrate, and the conductive silicon substrate.

6. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating substrate is a glass substrate.