Pressure sensor, method of fabricating the same, and method of calibrating the same

• US 7,246,526 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Jung-ho, Park, Tae-sik, Won, Jong-hwa, Nam, An-sik
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US11/035,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20050155433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 737/18, 737/54, 737/24, 737/15, 737/00, 737/21, 737/22, 737/53, 737/06, 361/283, 361/283.4, 296/211, 257/252, 257/248
• US Class Current: 73/754
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 27/002 Calibrating, i.e. establishing true relation between transducer output value and value to be measured, zeroing, linearising or span error determination
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0098 using semiconductor body comprising at least one PN junction as detecting element

Abstract

A pressure sensor having a digital output includes a substrate formed with plural channels, and a gating part formed in such a way that an area confronting with the plural channels is spaced from the substrate and moved in response to an external pressure, thereby making the plural channels selectively conductive. Such a pressure sensor can obtain binary information of each channel from the fact that which is made to be conductive among the plural channels is determined by the movement of the area formed in the gating part to confront with the plural channels, and it is possible to measure a pressure within a set range from binary information of each of the plural channels. As a result, because a peripheral circuit of the pressure sensor can be simplified, the manufacturing costs and power consumption can be greatly reduced.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor having a digital output, the pressure sensor comprising:

a substrate formed with a plurality of channels; and

a gating part disposed on the substrate so that an area of the gating part which confronts the channels is spaced apart from the substrate and movable in response to an external pressure to cause the channels to become selectively conductive.

2. The pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels are arranged parallel to each other.

3. The pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels have a comb shape at a position confronting the gating part.

4. The pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels comprise two channels which are symmetric about a central channel having a single channel output.

5. The pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels are classified into a predetermined number of groups and two adjacent groups are spaced apart at a predetermined distance.

6. The pressure sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gating part comprises:

a flat plate portion which confronts each of the channels and generates a stress depending on an external pressure to cause the channels to become selectively conductive; and

a support structure which reinforces and supports the flat plate portion.