Sensor chip and apparatus for tactile and/or flow sensing

• US 7,357,035 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Chen, Jack, Liu, Chang, Engel, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US10/861,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 737/56, 737/20, 737/19, 737/21, 703/21, 257/417, 296/101
• US Class Current: 73/756
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/28 by drag-force, e.g. vane type or impact flowmeter
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6845 Micromachined devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/015 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/186 using microstructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0092 Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/228 using tactile array force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 13/00 Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects scanning-probe techniques or apparatus G01Q
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0676 Force, weight, load, energy, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/12 using variation of resistance of a heated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49103 Strain gauge making

Abstract

A sensor chip, comprising a flexible, polymer-based substrate, and at least one microfabricated sensor disposed on the substrate and including a conductive element. The at least one sensor comprises at least one of a tactile sensor and a flow sensor. Other embodiments of the present invention include sensors and/or multi-modal sensor nodes.

Claims

1. A sensor chip comprising:

a flexible, polymer-based substrate;

at least one microfabricated sensor disposed on said substrate and including a conductive element, said at least one sensor comprising at least one of a tactile sensor and a flow sensor;

a processor coupled to said at least one sensor for processing signals from said at least one sensor;

wherein said processor is silicon based, and is embedded on a back surface of said substrate.

2. A sensor chip comprising:

a flexible, polymer-based substrate;

at least one microfabricated sensor disposed on said substrate and including a conductive element, said at least one sensor comprising at least one of a tactile sensor and a flow sensor;

a processor coupled to said at least one sensor for processing signals from said at least one sensor;

wherein said processor comprises a silicon die having a thickness equal to or lower than 50 μ

m, wherein said silicon die is flexible.

3. The sensor chip of claim 2 wherein said silicon die is embedded on a front side of said substrate.

4. A microfabricated hardness sensor comprising:

a first contact area disposed on a flexible membrane;

a strain gauge for measuring a response of the first contact area to an applied force from a contact object;

a second contact area disposed on a substrate, wherein said second contact area is less flexible than said first contact area on the flexible membrane;

another strain gauge for measuring a response of the second contact area to the applied force from the contact object.

5. The microfabricated hardness sensor of claim 4 wherein the flexible membrane and the substrate on which the second contact area is disposed are polymer-based, and wherein the flexible membrane is formed by removing material from the polymer-based substrate.

6. A microfabricated contact force sensor comprising:

a polymer-based flexible membrane having a plurality of flex channels formed on a back side therein;

a plurality of strain gauges, each of said strain gauges formed on a front side of said membrane and over one of the flex channels, each of said strain gauges comprising a conductive material for measuring a response of the flexible membrane to an applied force from a contact object.

7. A microfabricated artificial haircell comprising:

a cilium raised from a substrate, the cilium being capable of deflection with respect to said substrate;

a strain gauge disposed on said cilium, which stretches or compresses in response to an external force acting on said cilium.

8. The haircell of claim 7 wherein said strain gauge is disposed on a base of said cilium, which is rigidly connected to said substrate via a support.

9. The haircell of claim 7 wherein said substrate is a polymer-based substrate.

10. The haircell of claim 7 wherein said cilium comprises polyimide.

11. The haircell of claim 7 wherein said cilium is coupled to said substrate via a conductive hinge.

12. The haircell of claim 11 wherein said conductive hinge is electroplated.

13. The haircell claim 7 wherein said cilium is plated with permalloy.

14. A microfabricated pressure and shear sress sensor comprising:

a membrane diaphragm;

at least one thin-film conductive lead disposed on said membrane diaphragm, said conductive lead comprising a piezoresistor.