Capacitive pressure sensor

• US 7,382,599 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Kiyoshi, Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Nakamura, Yoshinobu, Fukuda, Tetsuya, Kikuiri, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, ERIC W
• Application Number:
  US11/553,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20070095147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 361277-278, 361/280, 361/283.2, 361/283.3, 361/283.4
• US Class Current: 361/283.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm

Abstract

A capacitive pressure sensor is provided. The capacitive pressure sensor includes a glass substrate that has a pair of surfaces facing each other. A first silicon substrate has a fixed electrode passing through the glass substrate to be exposed at one surface and a projection passing through the glass substrate to be exposed at the one surface. A second silicon substrate is bonded to the one surface of the glass substrate and is disposed to face the fixed electrode so as to form a cavity between the second silicon substrate and the fixed electrode.

Claims

1. A capacitive pressure sensor comprising:

a glass substrate that has a pair of surfaces facing each other;

a first silicon substrate that has a fixed electrode passing through the glass substrate to be exposed at one surface and a projection passing through the glass substrate to be exposed at the one surface;

a second silicon substrate that is bonded to the one surface of the glass substrate and has a movable electrode disposed to face the fixed electrode so as to form a cavity between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode; and

a lead electrode for the fixed electrode, which is formed on the projection,

wherein the projection is located outside the fixed electrode on the first silicon substrate, and the glass substrate is disposed in a groove that is formed by the fixed electrode and the projection, and

wherein a recess of the glass substrate, that forms the cavity, is recessed from the fixed electrode at the outside of the fixed electrode.

2. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein interfaces between the glass substrate and the first and second silicon substrates have Si—

Si bonding or Si—

O bonding.

3. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein a separate member is not interposed between the fixed electrode and the projection.

4. The capacitive pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the lead electrode does not exist in the bonded region between the glass substrate and the second silicon substrate.