Pressure transducer and mounting

• US 4,542,435 A
• Filed: 03/29/1984
• Issued: 09/17/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GS Development Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Signal Corporation (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Freud, Paul J., Baxter, Ronald D., Kroninger, Paul M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Donald A.
• Application Number:
  US06/594,588
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 361/283, 73/718
• US Class Current: 361/283.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm

Abstract

A capacitive pressure transducer whose diaphragm is formed of single crystal, highly doped silicon by etching in opposite sides the recesses which define the deflecting region of the diaphragm. This deflecting region serves as one electrode of the transducer. Two support plates of silicon are anodically bonded to opposite sides of the diaphragm along its periphery using thin layers of borosilicate glass to form with the etched recesses pressure receiving cavities. These thin layers of borosilicate glass are interposed between the diaphragm and a support plate, and extend over the entire surface of the support plate facing the diaphragm to provide for electrical isolation as well as the bonding between the diaphragm and the support plates. These layers of glass are made as thin as possible consistent with the need to maintain the stray capacitance below a certain value.

The transducer is mounted to a pressure receiving assembly by using a silicon stub having a passage for communicating one pressure to be measured to the transducer. The stub is joined at one end to the transducer by anodic bonding using a thin layer of borosilicate glass. A weldable tube is attached to the stub. This tube is long with respect to the stub and has a reduced diameter at one end which fits into the passage of the stub. The reduced diameter is kept at a minimum. The tube is welded to the pressure receiving body at its end to provide mechanical isolation for the transducer.

Claims

1. A capacitive pressure measuring transducer comprising:

a diaphragm member formed of a single crystal of silicon by etching into both sides of said diaphragm recesses defining the deflecting region of said diaphragm;

a pair of support plates of silicon anodically bonded to opposite sides of said diaphragm along the periphery of said defecting region and having pressure communicating passages extending therethrough;

a thin layer of borosilicate glass interposed between said diaphragm and each of said support plates and extending over the entire surface of said support plates facing said diaphragm member to form pressure receiving cavities with said diaphragm recesses and to provide for electrical isolation and bonding between said diaphragm and said support plates, said layers being as thin as possible consistent with adequate bonding, acceptable stray capacitance and electrical isolation between said diaphragm and said plates; and

a metallized region deposited on the surface of each of said glass layers opposite the deflecting region of said diaphragm to form on opposing sides of said diaphragm variable capacitors whose capacitances change in opposite sense with changes in the pressure being measured.

2. A capacitive pressure measuring transducer comprising:

a diaphragm member formed of a single crystal of highly doped silicon by etching into both sides of said diaphragm recesses defining the deflecting region of said diaphragm;

a pair of support plates of highly doped silicon anodically bonded to opposite sides of said diaphragm along the periphery of said defecting region and having pressure communicating passage extending therethrough;

a thin layer of borosilicate glass interposed between said diaphragm and each of said support plates and extending over the entire surface of said support plates facing said diaphragm member to form pressure receiving cavities with said diaphragm recesses and to provide for electrical isolation and bonding between said diaphragm and said support plates, said layers being as thin as possible consistent with adequate bonding, acceptable stray capacitance, and electrical isolation between said diaphragm and said plates;

a metallized region deposited on the surface of each of said glass layers opposite the deflecting region of said diaphragm to form on opposing sides of said diaphragm variable capacitors whose capacitances change in opposite sense with changes in the pressure being measured; and

metallized surfaces on the same side of said plates and said diaphragm to provide contact surfaces for an electrical feedthrough using spring biased contacts all oriented on the same side of said transducer.

3. A capacitive pressure measuring transducer and mounting therefore comprising:

a diaphragm member formed of a single crystal of silicon by etching in each side of said diaphragm a recess defining the deflecting region of said diaphragm, said diaphragm serving as one electrode of said transducer;

a pair of support plates of silicon anodically bonded on opposite sides of said diaphragm to the peripheral portions of said diaphragm so that said recesses form with said plates pressure receiving cavities, said support plates having pressure communicating passages extending therethrough;

layers of borosilicate glass interposed between said diaphragm and each of said support plates and extending over the entire surface of each of said support plates facing said diaphragm member to provide for electrical isolation and bonding between said diaphragm and said support plates, said layers being as thin as possible consistent with the requiredd isolation and bonding and thick enough to avoid excessive stray capacitance;

a metallized region deposited on the glass layered surface of each of said plates opposite the deflecting portion of said diaphragm to act as the fixed electrodes of said transducer;

a silicon stub having a pressure transmitting passage therethrough and joined at one end to said transducer by anodic bonding, said stub having its other end metallized; and

an alloy tube which is long with respect to said stub and has a reduced diameter at one end fitted into the passage of said stub and soldered thereto, said tube being welded to a body portion of said transducer and being of material such that its thermal expansion coefficient and its Young'"'"'s modulus are close to that of silicon.

4. A transducer as set forth in claim 3 in which:

said alloy tube has approximately 54% iron, 28% nickel, and 18% cobalt; and

the reduced end of said tube has a minimum diameter consistent with strength requirements.

5. A means for mounting to a body portion of a transducer assembly a pressure transducer having a silicon diaphragm bonded to a silicon plate, comprising:

a silicon stub having a pressure transmitting passage therethrough, said stub being joined at one end to said plate by anodic bonding; and

an alloy tube which is long with respect to said stub and has a reduced diameter at one end fitted into the passage of said stub and bonded thereto so that said tube can be welded to said body portion, said tube being of material such that its thermal expansion coefficient and its Young'"'"'s modulus are close to that of silicon.

6. A mounting means as set forth in claim 5 in which:

said plate has a thin layer of borosilicate glass between it and said stub to provide for said anodic bonding;

said tube is constructed of an alloy having approximately 54% iron, 28% nickel, and 18% cobalt; and

the reduced end of said tube has a minimum diameter consistent with strength requirements.