Capacitance transducer article and method of fabrication

• US 5,317,922 A
• Filed: 04/30/1992
• Issued: 06/07/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Bomback, John L., Elder, Ronald C., McCarthy, Shaun L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodiel, Donald
• Application Number:
  US07/876,168
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 73/718, 73/724, 29/25.41, 361/283
• US Class Current: 73/724
• 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 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/43 Electric condenser making

Abstract

A capacitance transducer has a first hermetically sealed cavity adapted to deform in response to an applied force, such as pressure or acceleration, and a second hermetically sealed cavity adapted to resist deformation in response to such applied force. The cavities are formed between two doped silicon layers separated by a selectively etched electrically insulating spacer layer. Multiple medial electrically insulating cavity area spacer segments within the second cavity resist deformation thereof in response to the applied force to be measured. The capacitance transducer can be manufactured from doped silicon wafers using well developed silicon wafer processing techniques.

Claims

1. A capacitance transducer article comprising:

a first sensor transducer means for responding to an applied force, and environmental conditions, having an hermetically sealed first cavity formed by a first doped silicon member having an upper surface and an electrically conductive lower surface,

a first region of an electrically conductive upper surface of a doped silicon substrate, being substantially parallel to, and spaced a distance from, the lower surface of the first doped silicon member,

and a first electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacer of predetermined thickness between the lower surface of the first doped silicon member and the first region of the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate,

said first doped silicone member being deformable in response to the applied force to vary the distance between the electrically conductive lower surface of the first doped silicone member and the first region of the electrically conductive upper surface of the doped silicone substrate; and

second sensor transducer means for responding to said environmental conditions, being less responsive to the applied force, having an hermetically sealed second cavity coplanar with the first cavity, formed by a second doped silicon member having an upper surface and a lower surface, a second region of the electrically conductive upper surface of the doped silicon substrate, a second electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacer of said predetermined thickness between the lower surface of the second doped silicon member and the second region of the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate, and multiple medial electrically insulating cavity area spacer segments within the second cavity to resist deformation thereof in response to said applied force.

2. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 further comprising a first electrically conductive film on the upper surface of the first doped silicon member, and a second electrically conductive film on the upper surface of the second doped silicon member, the first electrically conductive film not being electrically shorted to the second electrically conductive film.

3. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are substantially concentric.

4. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 further comprising signal means for converting deformation of the first cavity in response to said environmental conditions into an electrical signal corresponding to the magnitude of the applied force.

5. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacers and the multiple medial electrically insulating cavity area spacer segments are formed of silicon dioxide.

6. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 wherein the first cavity is substantially concentric with the second cavity and is of equal area and cavity volume.

7. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 wherein the first doped silicon member and the second doped silicon member are mounted on a surface of a base member in electrical connection with signal means for generating an electrical signal in response to deformation of the first cavity, the first sensor transducer means being electrically connected to a first electrically conductive lead on the surface of the base member, by a first metal film on the upper surface of the first doped silicon member and a first solder support spacer mediate the first metal film and the base member, and the second sensor transducer means being electrically connected to a second electrically conductive lead on the surface of the base member by a second metal film on the upper surface of the second doped silicon member and a second solder support spacer mediate the second metal film and the base member.

8. The capacitance transducer article of claim 7 further comprising a substrate support between the periphery of the doped silicon substrate and the base member, providing electrical connection between the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate and a third electrically conductive lead on the surface of the base member.

9. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 wherein the first and second doped silicon members and the doped silicon substrate are substantially uniformly doped throughout at about 10¹⁷ per cc to 10¹⁹ per cc dopant level.

10. The capacitance transducer article of claim 1 wherein the first doped silicon member and the second doped silicon member are uniformly spaced from the doped silicon substrate 2 to 5 microns by said predetermined thickness of the first and second electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacers, respectively.

11. A capacitance pressure transducer comprising:

a base member comprising a surface and electrically conductive leads extending along the surface; and

a capacitance transducer article mounted on the surface of the base member in electrical contact with the leads, the capacitance transducer comprising;

a doped silicon substrate having an exposed lower surface, an electrically conductive upper surface and an outer perimeter;

a generally planar first doped silicon member having a lower surface, an upper surface and a generally square perimeter, lying in a plane generally parallel to the doped silicon substrate and being spaced from, and bonded to, the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate by a first electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacer at the perimeter of the first doped silicon member between the lower surface of the first doped silicon member and the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate, the lower surface of the first doped silicon member together with the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate and the first electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacer forming a hermetically sealed first cavity adapted to deform in response to applied pressure;

a first electrically conductive layer on the upper surface of the first doped silicon member;

a first solder spacer between, and electrically interconnecting, the first electrically conductive layer and a corresponding one of the electrically conductive leads;

a second doped silicon member substantially coplanar with the first doped silicon member, extending continuously around the first doped silicon member, having an inside perimeter facing and spaced from the perimeter of the first doped silicon member, an outside perimeter, a lower surface and an upper surface, and being spaced from and bonded to the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate by (a) a second electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacer at its inside perimeter, and (b) a third electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacer at its outside perimeter, a hermetically sealed second cavity being formed by the lower surface of the second doped silicon member, the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate and the second and third electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacers, and (c) multiple medial electrically insulating cavity area spacers extending within the second cavity from the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate to the lower surface of the second doped silicon member to resist deformation thereof in response to said applied pressure;

a second electrically conductive layer on the upper surface of the second doped silicon member, not being electrically shorted to the first electrically conductive layer;

a second solder spacer between, and electrically interconnecting, the second electrically conductive layer and a corresponding one of the electrically conductive leads;

a third doped silicon member substantially coplanar with the first and second doped silicon members, extending around the second doped silicon member at the perimeter of the doped silicon substrate, having an inside perimeter facing and spaced from the outside perimeter of the second doped silicon member, a lower surface and an upper surface, and being spaced from and bonded to the upper surface of the doped silicon substrate by a fourth electrically insulating spacer substantially coplanar with the first, second and third electrically insulating cavity perimeter spacers and the medial electrically insulating cavity area spacers;

a third electrically conductive layer on the upper surface of the third doped silicon member, being not electrically shorted to the first or second electrically conductive layers; and

a third solder spacer between, and electrically interconnecting, the third electrically conductive layer and a corresponding one of the electrically conductive leads.

12. The capacitance transducer article of claim 11 further comprising signal means mounted to the base member in electrical contact with corresponding ones of the electrically conductive leads for converting deformation of the first cavity in response to the applied pressure into an electrical signal.

13. The capacitance transducer article of claim 11 wherein the base member is formed of material selected from the group consisting of alumina, glass and enamel coated metal.