High sensitivity micro-machined pressure sensors and acoustic transducers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An acoustic transducer or pressure sensor, comprising:
- a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
a single crystal silicon diaphragm formed on the top surface of the substrate, the diaphragm having a thickness of one micron or less;
an aperture formed in the bottom surface of the substrate and extending to the diaphragm; and
a contact electrically connected to the diaphragm, the contact located on the top surface of the substrate and electrically isolated from the substrate.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of making a pressure sensor or acoustic transducer having high sensitivity and reduced size. A thin sensing diaphragm is produced by growing a single crystal, highly doped silicon layer on a substrate using a chemical vapor deposition process. The diaphragm is incorporated into a pressure sensor or acoustic transducer which detects pressure variations by a change in the capacitance of a capacitor which includes the diaphragm as a movable member. The thin diaphragm produces a highly sensitive device which can be fabricated in a smaller size than sensors or transducers having thicker diaphragms.
-
Citations
7 Claims
-
1. An acoustic transducer or pressure sensor, comprising:
-
a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface; a single crystal silicon diaphragm formed on the top surface of the substrate, the diaphragm having a thickness of one micron or less; an aperture formed in the bottom surface of the substrate and extending to the diaphragm; and a contact electrically connected to the diaphragm, the contact located on the top surface of the substrate and electrically isolated from the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
Specification