Apparatus and method of producing pressure sensors and diaphragms for said pressure sensors

• US 6,490,932 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fischer, Werner, Foerstner, Rainer, Mast, Martin, Naegele, Erwin
• Primary Examiner(s): OEN, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/341,067
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 737/15, 737/16, 737/17, 737/21, 737/54, 737/56, 737/18, 737/24, 298/25, 361/283.4, 361/283
• US Class Current: 73/715
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0044 Constructional details of non-semiconductive diaphragms

Abstract

A method of producing a number of pressure sensors includes joining a plurality of support bodies to a metal component, the metal component forming a diaphragm, applying a thin-film coating to produce the sensor elements, and finally dividing the metal component provided with the thin-film coating and the support bodies into a plurality of pressure sensors, each having a single one of the support bodies so that the number of pressure sensors formed corresponds to the plurality of the support bodies.

Claims

1. A method of producing a number of pressure sensors (1), said method comprising the steps of:

a) joining a plurality of support bodies (4) to a metal component, said metal component forming a diaphragm (3);

b) applying a thin-film coating to the metal component to produce sensor elements; and

c) finally dividing the metal component provided with the thin-film coating in step b) and the support bodies (4) in step a) into a plurality of pressure sensors (1), each having a single one of said support bodies so that the number of pressure sensors formed corresponds to said plurality of said support bodies.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the metal component has a thickness tolerance amounting to <

5% of a thickness of said diaphragm (3) and a surface quality on a top side thereof having a value of Rz<

0.1 μ

m.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal component is a sheet metal band.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said sheet metal band is a steel band.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said joining is by soldering to form a solder seam (5) between the metal component and each of the supporting bodies (4).

6. A diaphragm provided with sensor elements for detecting a pressure in a pressure sensor, the diaphragm comprising a portion of a metal component and a ring acting as support body (4), said ring and said portion of said metal component being joined together by soldering to form a solder seam (5) therebetween.

7. The diaphragm as defined in claim 6, wherein said metal component is a metal band and said portion of said metal component includes at least one fixation lug (6).