Pressure sensor for measuring blood pressure and method of fabricating the same

• US 7,584,666 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Shin, Kun-soo, Bae, Sang-kon, Kim, Youn-ho, Kim, Jong-pal
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US11/968,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 73700-756, 3612831-2834, 128897-899
• US Class Current: 73/727
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A pressure sensor includes at least one cantilever formed on an upper surface of a silicon substrate, a piezoresistor formed on a fixed end of the cantilever, and a metal wire and an electrode pad connected to both ends of the piezoresistor, wherein a stopper that limits a deformation of a free end of the cantilever is formed below the cantilever.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor for measuring blood pressure, comprising:

at least one cantilever formed on an upper surface of a silicon substrate;

a piezoresistor formed on a fixed end of the cantilever; and

a metal wire and an electrode pad connected to both ends of the piezoresistor,

wherein a stopper that limits a deformation of a free end of the cantilever is formed below the cantilever,

wherein the cantilever comprises a plurality of cantilevers, and the plurality of cantilevers are parallel to each other, and

wherein the plurality of cantilevers are formed on the silicon substrate so that each cantilever extends in an opposite direction with respect to an adjacent cantilever.

2. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the silicon substrate is a single crystal silicon having a (111) crystal surface on an upper surface thereof.

3. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein each cantilever has a width of 10 to 500 μ

m.

4. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein a depth from each cantilever to the stopper is 1 to 50 μ

m.

5. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cantilevers comprises at least one pair of cantilevers disposed in a row along their longitudinal direction so as to face each other.

6. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the silicon substrate, the cantilevers, and the stopper are formed in a monolithic structure.

7. A method of fabricating a pressure sensor, comprising:

(a) forming a piezoresistor on a fixed end of cantilever forming region on an upper surface of a silicon substrate;

(b) forming a wire and an electrode pad connected to both ends of the piezoresistor;

(c) forming an insulating layer on the silicon substrate that exposes a first region that defines the cantilever forming region;

(d) etching the silicon substrate to a predetermined depth from a surface of the first region of the silicon substrate;

(e) forming a wall protective film on a side wall of the etched first region;

(f) forming a first wall where the wall protective film is not formed by dry etching the first region of the silicon substrate exposed through the wall protective film to a predetermined depth; and

(g) forming a cantilever that is supported at one end by the silicon substrate and a stopper that limits a deformation of the cantilever by etching the first wall exposed through the wall protective film.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the silicon substrate is a single crystal silicon having a (111) crystal surface on an upper surface thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the forming of the piezoresistor comprises implanting a p-type dopant in the fixed end of the cantilever forming region.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the cantilever has a width of 10 to 500μ

m.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein a distance from a lower surface of the cantilever to an upper surface of the stopper is 1 to 50 μ

m.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a distance from a lower surface of the beam to an upper surface of the stopper is 1 to 50 μ

m.

13. A method of fabricating a pressure sensor, comprising:

(a) forming piezoresistors on both ends of a beam forming region on an upper surface of a silicon substrate;

(b) forming a wire and an electrode pad connected to both ends of each of the piezoresistors;

(c) forming an insulating layer that exposes a first region that defines the beam forming region on the silicon substrate;

(d) etching the silicon substrate to a predetermined depth from a surface of the first region of the silicon substrate;

(e) forming a wall protective film on a side wall of the etched first region;

(f) forming a first wall where the wall protective film is not formed by dry etching the first region of the silicon substrate exposed through the wall protective film to a predetermined depth; and

(g) forming a beam that is supported at both ends by the silicon substrate and a stopper that limits a deformation of the beam by etching the first wall exposed through the wall protective film.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the silicon substrate has a (111) crystal surface.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the forming of the piezoresistor comprises implanting a p-type dopant in the both ends of the beam forming region.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the beam has a width of 10 to 500 μ

m.