Absolute pressure transducer

• US 4,609,966 A
• Filed: 10/04/1985
• Issued: 09/02/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vaisala OY PL
• Original Assignee: Vaisala OY
• Inventors: Kuisma, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Donald A.
• Application Number:
  US06/784,198
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 361/283, 73/718, 73/724
• US Class Current: 361/283.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/16 using variation of distance between electrodes

Abstract

Described herein is a capacitive absolute pressure transducer including a flat base plate (9) of insulating material, e.g., of glass, with a fixed capacitor electrode (10), aligned on the base plate. A silicon-material moving diaphragm electrode (5) of the capacitor is at least partly aligned with the fixed electrode (10), properly spaced to implement a hermetically sealed vacuum chamber (7) between the fixed electrode (10) and moving diaphragm electrode (5). Electrical contacts (12) are attached to the fixed electrode (10) and the moving diaphragm electrode (5). According to the invention, the flat base plate (9) is bonded to an electrically conductive wafer (8) to implement a laminated substrate (2), the diaphragm electrode (5) fabricated integral with a surrounding and essentially thicker collar part (18), and the electrical contact to the fixed capacitor plate (10) in the area of the vacuum chamber (7) is a well (11, 12) extending through the base plate (9) to the wafer (8).

Claims

1. A capacitive absolute pressure transducer comprising:

a base plate of an insulating material

a fixed capacitor electrode disposed on the base plate,

a moving capacitor electrode diaphragm of silicon, at least partly aligned with the fixed capacitor electrode, and spaced from it so that a hermetically sealed chamber is formed between the fixed electrode and the moving diaphragm electrode, and

electrical contacts attached to the fixed electrode and moving diaphragm electrode, respectively,

the base plate being bonded with a conductive material wafer to obtain a laminated substrate,

the diaphragm electrode of the capacitor being essentially an integrated structure with the surrounding and essentially thicker collar part, and

the electrical path to the fixed capacitor electrode in the area of the vacuum chamber being formed by a well that penetrates the base plate to the conductive wafer.

2. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, the conductive wafer is of silicon and essentially thicker than the base plate.

3. The transducer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the moving diaphragm electrode is provided in its center area with a stiff part, essentially thicker than the diaphragm part and surrounded by an annular well.

4. The transducer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the surface of the wafer facing the base plate is doped heavily conductive.

5. The transducer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the surface of the base plate is provided with an encircling grounded metal film pattern which, at a distance, entirely surrounds the collar part.

6. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a collar part of said moving capacitor electrode diaphragm extending from the moving diaphragm electrode of the capacitor towards the base plate.

7. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a collar part of said moving capacitor electrode diaphragm extending outwards from the moving diaphragm electrode of the capacitor so that an outer surface of the diaphragm and an inner surface of the collar part define a well-shaped space.

8. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a collar part of said moving capacitor electrode diaphragm extending both outward and inward from the moving diaphragm electrode.

9. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the base plate facing the diaphragm electrode is provided with a well to implement a vacuum chamber.

10. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the well for the electrical contact is a conical hole through the base plate, narrowing towards the wafer and metallized on its surface.

11. The transducer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the metallization of said well is integral with the fixed electrode of the capacitor.

12. The transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit consisting of the well between the fixed capacitor electrode and the wafer is complemented with, a second well, implemented with an external conductive area which passes through the wafer to the vacuum chamber.

13. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said base plate is composed of glass.