Micro-heater and airflow sensor using the same

• US 6,450,025 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Otsuka, Yoshinori, Wado, Hiroyuki, Kawasaki, Eishi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US09/499,020
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 732/042.6, 732/041.7, 732/041.9, 732/041.1, 732/042.3
• US Class Current: 73/204.26
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0292 Sensors not provided for in B81B2201/0207 - B81B2201/0285
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0072 For controlling internal stress or strain in moving or flexible elements, e.g. stress compensating layers
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0169 by post-annealing
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/019 Bonding or gluing multiple substrate layers
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6845 Micromachined devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/12 characterised by the composition or nature of the conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/28 heating conductor embedded in insulating material

Abstract

An airflow sensor including a micro-heater having a film structure, which can reduce a warpage of the film structure even when a thick ness of the film structure to improve a mechanical strength thereof. An airflow sensor is provided with a monocrystalline silicon substrate having a hollow portion therein; a thin film heater portion as a micro-heater arranged above the hollow portion; and a temperature sensor. The thin film heater portion has a laminated structure of a lower thin film, a heater layer, and an upper thin film. The lower and the upper thin film respectively have a tensile stress film and a compressive stress film laminated with the tensile stress film, and are symmetry laminated with respect to the heater layer. The tensile stress film is made up of a Si₃N₄ film having a great moisture-proof characteristic; and the compressive stress film is made up of a SiO₂ film having a great adhesion. Since these stress films cancel their internal stress each other, the internal stress can be released, and a warpage moment can be cancelled so that a warpage of the whole film structure can be restricted. Therefore, the mechanical strength can be improved even if the thickness of the film is increased.

Claims

1. A micro-heater comprising:

a substrate; and

a thin film heater portion being fixed to the substrate and including;

a heater layer;

a first thin film laminated with one surface side of the heater layer, and formed by laminating a plurality of films including a compressive stress film and, a tensile stress film; and

a second thin film laminated with another surface side of the heater layer so as to sandwich the heater layer with the lower thin film, and formed by laminating a plurality of films including a compressive stress film and a tensile stress film, wherein

the heater layer is laminated at the substantially center portion of the thin film heater portion;

one of the first thin film and the second thin film has an internal stress that warps the thin film heater portion in a domed-shape, and another of the first thin film and the second thin film has an internal stress that warps the thin film heater portion in a dished-shape; and

each of the first thin film and the second thin film respectively has a film structure so that the internal stress for warping the thin film heater portion in the domed-shape and the internal stress that warps the thin film heater portion in the dished-shape cancel each other.

2. The micro-heater of claim 1, wherein:

the number of the compressive stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the compressive stress film constituting the second film; and

the number of the tensile stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the tensile stress film constituting the second film.

3. The micro-heater of claim 2, wherein:

the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film constituting the first film are arranged symmetry to the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film constituting the second film with respect to the heater layer.

5. The micro-heater of claim 1, wherein:

a material of the compressive stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the compressive stress film constituting the second film; and

a material of the tensile stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the tensile stress film constituting the second film.

6. The micro-heater of claim 1, wherein:

a thickness of the compressive stress film constituting the first film is substantially the same as that of the compressive stress film constituting the second film; and

a thickness of the tensile stress film constituting the first film is substantially the same as that of the tensile stress film constituting the second film.

7. The micro-heater of claim 1, wherein:

each of the compressive stress film constituting the first film and the compressive stress film constituting the second film is made of amorphous material; and

each of the tensile stress film constituting the first film and the tensile stress film constituting the second film is made of amorphous material.

8. The micro-heater of claim 7, wherein:

both of the compressive stress film constituting the first film and the compressive stress film constituting the second film are made of silicon oxide film; and

both of the tensile stress film constituting the first film and the tensile stress film constituting the second film is made of silicon nitride.

9. The micro-heater of claim 8, wherein:

a thickness ratio of a silicon oxide film as the compressive stress film with respect to a silicon nitride film as the tensile stress film (a thickness of the silicon oxide film/a thickness of the silicon nitride film) is set within a range of 5-7.

10. The micro-heater of claim 1, wherein:

the heater layer includes a metallic film made of platinum-based metal and a bonding layer for enhancing an adhesion of the metallic film.

4. The micro-heater of claim l wherein:

each of the first thin film and the second thin film is laminated with the heater layer so that the compressive stress film is positioned at the heater layer side and the tensile stress film is positioned at opposite side of the heater layer.

11. A micro-heater comprising :

a substrate; and

a thin,film heater portion being fixed to the substrate and including;

a heater layer;

a first thin film laminated with one surface side of the heater layer, and formed by laminating a plurality of films including a compressive stress film and a tensile stress film; and

a second thin film laminated with another surface side of the heater layer so as to sandwich the heater layer with the lower thin film, and formed by laminating a plurality of films including a compressive stress film and a tensile stress film,

wherein the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film of the first thin film and the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film of the second thin film releases an internal stress of the thin film heater portion.

12. The micro-heater of claim 11, wherein:

the number of the compressive stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the compressive stress film constituting the second film; and

the number of the tensile stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the tensile stress film constituting the second film.

13. The micro-heater of claim 12, wherein:

the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film constituting the first film are arranged symmetry to the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film constituting the second film with respect to the heater layer.

14. The micro-heater of claim 11, wherein:

each of the first thin film and the second thin film is laminated with the heater layer so that the compressive stress film is positioned at the heater layer side and the tensile stress film is positioned at opposite side of the heater layer.

15. The micro-heater of claim 11, wherein:

a material of the compressive stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the compressive stress film constituting the second film; and

a material of the tensile stress film constituting the first film is the same as that of the tensile stress film constituting the second film.

16. The micro-heater of claim 11, wherein:

a thickness of the compressive stress film constituting the first film is substantially the same as that of the compressive stress film constituting the second film; and

a thickness of the tensile stress film constituting the first film is substantially the same as that of the tensile stress film constituting the second film.

17. The micro-heater of claim 11, wherein:

each of the compressive stress film constituting the first film and the compressive stress film constituting the second film is made of amorphous material; and

each of the tensile stress film constituting the first film and the tensile stress film constituting the second film is made of amorphous material.

18. The micro-heater of claim 17, wherein:

both of the compressive stress film constituting the first film and the compressive stress film constituting the second film are made of silicon oxide film; and

both of the tensile stress film constituting the first film and the tensile stress film constituting the second film is made of silicon nitride.

19. The micro-heater of claim 18, wherein:

a thickness ratio of a silicon oxide film as the compressive stress film with respect to a silicon nitride film as the tensile stress film (a thickness of the silicon oxide film/a thickness of the silicon nitride film) is set within a range of 5-7.

20. The micro-heater of claim 11, wherein:

the heater layer includes a metallic film made of platinum-based metal and a bonding layer for enhancing an adhesion of the metallic film.

21. An airflow sensor comprising:

a substrate having a hollow portion therein;

a micro-heater being arranged above the hollow portion, comprising;

a thin film heater portion being arranged above the substrate and including;

a heater layer;

a first thin film laminated with one surface side of the heater layer, and formed by laminating a plurality of films including a compressive stress film and a tensile stress film; and

a second thin film laminated with another surface side of the heater layer so as to sandwich the heater layer with the lower thin film, and formed by laminating a plurality of films including a compressive stress film and a tensile stress film, wherein;

the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film of the first thin film and the compressive stress film and the tensile stress film of the second thin film releases an internal stress of the thin film heater portion; and

a temperature sensor being arranged above the hollow portion to be positioned at an upstream of airflow whose amount being to be detected.

22. The airflow sensor of claim 21, wherein:

the heater layer is laminated at the substantially center portion of the thin film heater portion.