Preformed sensor housing and methods to produce thin metal diaphragms

• US 20070163355A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kavlico Corporation (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Original Assignee: Kavlico Corporation (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Inventors: McDaniel, Scott, Nassar, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US11/332,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20070163355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/715
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/082 construction or mounting of diaphragms of semiconductive diaphragms G01L9/0042

Abstract

A preformed senior housing including a conduit having an inside; a plug disposed within the conduit, and a deposit covering a portion of the plug and a portion of the conduit. A method is also disclosed for creating a thin film diaphragm on a housing including the step of inserting a sacrificial element into the housing; depositing a diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing; and removing the sacrificial element.

Claims

1. A preformed sensor housing comprising:

a conduit having an inside;

a plug disposed within the conduit; and

a deposit covering at least a portion of the plug and of the conduit.

2. The preformed sensor housing of claim 1, wherein the conduit has a substantially round cross-section.

3. The preformed sensor housing of claim 1, wherein the conduit is tubular.

4. The preformed sensor housing of claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises an opening, wherein the plug comprises a portion that is;

exposed through the opening, the portion having a surface with a predetermined pattern.

5. The preformed sensor housing of claim 4, wherein the predetermined pattern is such that the deposit formed on the surface comprises a corrugated surface pattern.

6. The preformed sensor housing of claim 4, wherein the predetermined pattern is such that the deposit formed on the surface comprises a flat surface pattern.

7. The preformed sensor housing of claim 4, wherein the predetermined pattern is such that the deposit formed on the surface comprises a dimpled surface pattern.

8. The preformed sensor housing of claim 4, wherein the predetermined pattern is such that the deposit formed on the surface comprises a bumped surface pattern.

9. The preformed sensor housing of claim 4, wherein the predetermined pattern is a flat surface.

10. The preformed sensor housing of claim 1, wherein the plug is removable from the conduit.

11. The preformed sensor housing of claim 1, wherein the conduit is a medical catheter.

26. The preformed sensor housing of claim 4, wherein the plug comprises a side surface and a front face, and the front face is exposed through the opening.

27. The preformed sensor housing of claim 26, wherein the front face is the only portion of the plug that is exposed through the opening.

28. The preformed sensor housing of claim 10, wherein the plug is removable from the conduit through chemical etching.

29. The preformed sensor housing of claim 10, wherein the plug is removable from the conduit through thermal decomposition.

12. A method for creating a thin film diaphragm on a housing comprising:

inserting a sacrificial element into the housing;

depositing a diaphragm material onto a least a portion of the sacrificial element and the housing; and

removing the sacrificial element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the housing is a conduit.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the housing comprise an opening and a wall surrounding the opening, wherein displacing the sacrificial element into the housing comprises inserting the sacrificial element to fill the opening up to the wall.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein depositing the diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing comprises electroplating the diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein depositing the diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing comprises sputtering the diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein depositing the diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing comprises electroless plating the diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising patterning the sacrificial element.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein patterning the sacrificial element comprises creating a corrugated pattern on a portion of the sacrificial element.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein patterning the sacrificial element comprises creating a dimpled pattern on a portion of the sacrificial element.)

21. The method of claim 18, wherein patterning the sacrificial element comprises creating a bumped pattern on a portion of the sacrificial element.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein patterning the sacrificial element comprises creating a flat surface on a portion of the sacrificial element.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein removing the sacrificial element comprises thermally removing the sacrificial element.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein removing the sacrificial element comprises chemically removing the sacrificial element.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein chemically removing the sacrificial element comprises etching the sacrificial element.