Electrical capacitance pressure sensor having electrode with fixed area and manufacturing method thereof

• US 6,584,852 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shimaoka, Keiichi, Fujii, Tetsuo, Suzuki, Yasutoshi, Ishio, Seiichiro, Funahashi, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): OEN, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US10/176,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 737/18, 737/24, 737/54, 361/283.1, 361/283.2, 361/283.3, 361/283.4
• US Class Current: 73/718
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm

Abstract

An electrical capacitance pressure sensor has a lower electrode, a movable electrode, and an upper electrode. A first cavity portion is formed between the lower electrode and the movable electrode. A second cavity portion is formed between the upper electrode and the movable electrode. The substrate has an opening portion that penetrates the substrate from the first surface to the second surface thereof. The lower electrode has at least one first window portion that penetrates the lower electrode from the side of the substrate to the side of the first cavity portion and communicates the cavity portion to the opening portion of the substrate. The upper electrode has at least one second window portion that penetrates the upper electrode from the side of the cavity portion to the outside thereof to communicate the cavity portion with the outside.

Claims

1. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor comprising:

a substrate having a first and a second surface;

a lower electrode formed on the first surface of the substrate;

a movable electrode formed on the lower electrode and separated by a predetermined distance from the lower electrode to form a diaphragm;

a cavity portion formed between the lower electrode and the movable electrode to form an electrical capacitance that is to be changed when the movable electrode deforms based on an applied pressure thereon; and

a cover member formed on the lower electrode;

wherein the substrate has an opening portion that penetrates the substrate from the first surface to the second surface,

the lower electrode has at least one window portion that penetrates the lower electrode from a side of the substrate to a side of the cavity portion and communicates the cavity portion to the opening portion of the substrate;

the cover member is formed on a side of the opening portion of the substrate and covers the at least one window portion to separate the cavity portion from an outside thereof and to form a reference pressure chamber in the cavity portion.

2. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the lower electrode is made of poly-Si.

3. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one window portion is formed in a diagonal direction with respect to a perpendicular direction of the lower electrode.

4. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one large diameter member having a diameter larger than that of the window portion and for covering the window portion.

5. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 4, wherein the at least one large diameter member is a ball member or a circular cylinder member.

6. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 4, wherein the at least one window portion is formed in a perpendicular direction of the lower electrode.

7. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 4, wherein the lower electrode is made of poly-Si.

8. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor comprising:

a substrate having first and second surfaces;

a lower electrode formed on the first surface of the substrate;

a movable electrode formed on the lower electrode and separated by a predetermined distance from the lower electrode, for forming a diaphragm;

an upper electrode formed on the movable electrode and separated by a predetermined distance from the movable electrode,

a first cavity portion formed between the lower electrode and the movable electrode to form an electrical capacitance that is to be changed to a first capacitance value when the movable electrode deforms based on a pressure difference between both sides thereof; and

a second cavity portion formed between the upper electrode and the movable electrode to form an electrical capacitance that is to be changed to a second capacitance value thereof when the movable electrode deforms based on the pressure difference between both sides thereof;

wherein the substrate has an opening portion that penetrates the substrate from the first surface to the second surface thereof,

the lower electrode has at least one first window portion that penetrates the lower electrode from the side of the substrate to the side of the first cavity portion and communicates the cavity portion to the opening portion of the substrate, and

the upper electrode has at least one second window portion that penetrates the upper electrode from the side of the cavity portion to the outside thereof to communicate the cavity portion to an outside environment.

9. An electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 8, wherein the lower electrode and the upper electrode are made of poly-Si.

10. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor comprising:

preparing a substrate having first and second surfaces;

forming a lower electrode on the first surface of the substrate;

forming a sacrificial layer on the lower electrode;

forming a movable electrode on the sacrifice layer;

etching the substrate from the second surface to form an opening portion;

forming at least one window portion to penetrate a part of the lower electrode that is exposed from the opening portion of the substrate;

etching the sacrificial layer to form a cavity portion and a diaphragm by the movable electrode through the opening portion of the substrate and the at least one window portion of the lower electrode; and

forming a cover member on the lower electrode on a side of the opening portion of the substrate to cover the at least one window portion and to form a reference pressure chamber in the cavity portion.

11. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 10,

wherein the forming the lower electrode includes forming a poly-Si layer on the first surface of the substrate, and

the forming at least one window portion includes implanting ions into the poly-Si layer except a region where the at least one window portion is to be formed, and etching the region of the poly-Si layer to form the at least one window portion.

12. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 11, wherein the etching the region of the poly-Si layer is conducted after the etching the substrate to form the opening portion by etching the region of the poly-Si layer through the opening portion.

13. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 12, wherein forming the at least one window portion includes forming the at least one window portion in a diagonal direction with respect to a perpendicular direction of the lower electrode.

14. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 10 further comprising, covering the at least one window portion with at least one large diameter member having a diameter larger than that of the window portion,

wherein the forming a cover member includes covering the at least one window portion with the at least one large diameter member.

15. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 14, wherein the covering the at least one window portion includes covering the at least one window portion with at least one ball member or circular cylinder member.

16. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 14, wherein forming the at least one window portion includes forming the at least one window portion in a perpendicular direction of the lower electrode.

17. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 16,

wherein the forming the lower electrode includes forming a poly-Si layer on the first surface of the substrate, and

the forming at least one window portion includes implanting ions into the poly-Si layer except for a region where the at least one window portion is to be formed, and etching the region of the poly-Si layer to form the at least one window portion.

18. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 17, wherein the etching the region of the poly-Si layer is conducted after the etching the substrate to form the opening portion by etching the region of the poly-Si layer through the opening portion.

19. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor comprising:

preparing a substrate having a first and a second surface;

forming a lower electrode on the first surface of the substrate;

forming a first sacrificial layer on the lower electrode;

forming a movable electrode on the first sacrificial layer;

forming a second sacrifice layer on the movable electrode;

forming an upper electrode on the second sacrificial layer;

etching the substrate from the second surface to form an opening portion;

forming at least one first window portion to penetrate a part of the lower electrode that is exposed from the opening portion of the substrate;

forming at least one second window portion to penetrate a part of the upper electrode; and

etching the first and second sacrificial layers to form a first cavity portion, a second cavity portion and a diaphragm by the movable electrode through the opening portion of the substrate, the at least one first window portion of the lower electrode and the at least one first window portion of the upper electrode.

20. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 19,

wherein the forming the lower electrode includes forming first poly-Si layer on the first surface of the substrate,

the forming the upper electrode includes forming second poly-Si layer on the second sacrifice layer,

the forming at least one first window portion includes implanting ions into the first poly-Si layer except a region where the at least one first window portion is to be formed, and etching the region of the first poly-Si layer to form the at least one first window portion, and

the forming at least one second window portion includes implanting ions into the second poly-Si layer except a region where the at least one second window portion is to be formed, and etching the region of the second poly-Si layer to form the at least one second window portion.

21. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 20, wherein the etching the region of the first poly-Si layer is conducted after the etching the substrate to form the opening portion by etching the region of the first poly-Si layer through the opening portion.

22. A method for manufacturing an electrical capacitance pressure sensor according to claim 21, wherein the etching the region of the first poly-Si layer and the etching the region of the second poly-Si layer is simultaneously conducted.