Contact stress sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;
operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element, wherein said electric circuit comprises implant material implanted into said pressure sensitive element, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises a substrate selected from the group consisting of an N type substrate, a P type substrate, an N type well in a P type substrate and a P type well in an N type substrate; and
locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic.
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Abstract
A method for producing a contact stress sensor that includes one or more MEMS fabricated sensor elements, where each sensor element of includes a thin non-recessed portion, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element adjacent to the recessed portion. An electric circuit is connected to the pressure sensitive element. The circuit includes a pressure signal circuit element configured to provide a signal upon movement of the pressure sensitive element.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element, wherein said electric circuit comprises implant material implanted into said pressure sensitive element, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises a substrate selected from the group consisting of an N type substrate, a P type substrate, an N type well in a P type substrate and a P type well in an N type substrate; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said sensor element is processed by attaching it with an adhesive to a handle. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said package comprises a base layer, a mid-layer with an opening for said sensor element, and a capping layer, wherein said mid-layer is between said base layer and said capping layer, wherein a conductive trace is located between said base layer and said mid-layer and is in electrical contact with said electrical circuit, further comprising soldering together said conductive trace and said circuit. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said package comprises a base layer, a mid-layer with an opening for said sensor element, and a capping layer, wherein said mid-layer is between said base layer and said capping layer, wherein said base layer comprises means for providing a deterministic solder thickness between said sensor element and said conductive trace.
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48. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises a configuration selected from the group consisting of a diaphragm, a cantilever and a doubly supported beam, further comprising a sealed reference as volume beneath said diaphragm.
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49. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said package comprises a base layer, a mid-layer with an opening for said sensor element, and a capping layer, wherein said mid-layer is between said base layer and said capping layer, wherein a conductive trace is located between said base layer and said mid-layer and is in electrical contact with said electrical circuit, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises a substrate selected from the group consisting of an N type substrate, a P type substrate, an N type well in a P type substrate and a P type well in an N type substrate, wherein when said substrate comprises an N type well in a P type substrate said implant comprises a P type implant and when said substrate comprises a P type well in an N type substrate said implant comprises an N type implant.
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50. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises a diaphragm, and further comprises a thermal compensator comprising at least one piezoresistive circuit operatively placed on said diaphragm, wherein said pressure signal generating circuit element comprises at least one piezoresistive circuit operatively placed on said diaphragm.
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51. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said sensor element comprises single crystal silicon, wherein said single crystal silicon comprises a <
100>
crystalline axis and a <
110>
crystalline axis, wherein a thermal compensator is operatively placed on said <
100>
crystalline axis and wherein said pressure signal circuit element is operatively placed on said <
110>
crystalline axis for p-type piezoresistors in a (100) wafer. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element; and locating said sensor element within a package to provide a packaged sensor element, wherein said sensor element together with said package comprises a total thickness no greater than 300 μ
m and wherein said package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, and plastic, wherein said sensor element comprises silicon, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises a diaphragm, and further comprises a thermal compensator comprising at least one piezoresistive circuit, wherein said pressure signal generating circuit element comprises at least one piezoresistive circuit operatively placed on said diaphragm.
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54. A method, comprising:
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providing a sensor element that includes a body having a thickness no greater than 280 μ
m, a recessed portion and a pressure sensitive element that extends over said recessed portion;operatively connecting an electric circuit to said pressure sensitive element, wherein said circuit includes a pressure signal generating circuit element configured to provide a signal when a force is exerted on said pressure sensitive element, wherein said sensor element is one of a plurality of sensor elements; and connecting said plurality of sensor elements together with an extensible interconnect that allows complex curvature conformability, wherein said flexible interconnect comprises a metal trace on a silicon spring.
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Specification