MEMS dynamic pressure sensor, in particular for applications to microphone production

• US 8,783,113 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et AUX Energies Alternatives
• Inventors: Robert, Philippe, Walther, Arnaud
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Brandi N
• Application Number:
  US13/186,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 737/53, 737/77, 737/00
• US Class Current: 73/753
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0257 Microphones or microspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0264 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0127 Diaphragms, i.e. structures separating two media that can control the passage from one medium to another; Membranes, i.e. diaphragms with filtering function
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/051 Translation according to an axis parallel to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0021 Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 11/04 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/08 Microphones

Abstract

A pressure sensor of the MEMS and/or NEMS type is disclosed, including:

• • at least one first deformable cavity (20) to receive pressure variations from an ambient atmosphere, this first deformable cavity being made in a first substrate and including at least one mobile or deformable wall (25), arranged at least partially in the plane parallel to the first substrate, called plane of the sensor, pressure variations from an ambient atmosphere being transmitted to said cavity,
  • a detector (24, 24′) for detecting a displacement or deformation, in the plane of the sensor, of said mobile or deformable wall, under the effect of a pressure variation of the ambient atmosphere.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor of the MEMS and/or NEMS type, comprising:

at least one first deformable cavity configured to receive pressure variations from an ambient atmosphere, this first deformable cavity being made in at least a first planar layer extending in a sensor plane of the pressure sensor, and including at least one movable wall which is movable only along said sensor plane, wherein pressure variations are transmitted from an ambient atmosphere to said cavity;

at least one detector having a stationary part provided in at least said sensor plane and being stationary relative to said movable wall, the at least one detector being configured to detect a displacement of the movable wall in the sensor plane under the effect of a pressure variation of the ambient atmosphere; and

at least one secondary cavity, partially in communication with the first deformable cavity, said secondary cavity forming a reference cavity, wherein the secondary cavity is separated from the first cavity at least partially by the at least one movable wall, and the displacement of the movable wall takes place under the effect of a pressure difference between pressures in the first deformable cavity and the secondary cavity.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a second layer extending in a plane parallel to said sensor plane, said second layer being different from the first layer, wherein the at least one secondary cavity being made in at least one of the sensor plane and the plane of the second layer.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein said secondary cavity being made in the plane of the second layer extending in a plane parallel to said sensor plane, and wherein

said pressure variations of the ambient atmosphere being transmitted to said first cavity through said second layer,

or said second layer being arranged on a side, parallel to said sensor plane, a third layer being arranged on another side, extending in a plane parallel to said sensor plane, said pressure variations of the ambient atmosphere being transmitted to said first cavity through said third layer.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein said detector being of the capacitive type or of the strain gauge type.

5. The sensor according to claim 4, said detector being of the capacitive type and comprising:

at least one first comb which is able to move in the sensor plane; and

at least one second comb coupled to the stationary part and, stationary relative to the first comb, the teeth of the first comb and those of the second comb alternating, wherein movement of said movable wall in the plane of the sensor is transmitted to said first comb.

6. The sensor according to claim 4, wherein the detector being of the capacitive type, based on an air gap variation.

7. The sensor according to claim 4, wherein said detector including a strain gauge.

8. The sensor according to claim 7, further comprising:

a lever arm able to move in the sensor plane of the sensor, wherein movement of the movable wall, in the plane of the sensor being transmitted to said lever arm; and

at least one strain gauge configured to detect a displacement of the lever arm in the plane of the sensor.

9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein said at least movable wall including two lateral ends, wherein:

one lateral end being embedded or fastened on a stationary wall, and the other lateral end being free, or,

both lateral ends being embedded or fastened to a stationary wall, or

the movable wall being rigid, and maintained at both of its lateral ends by deformable elements.

10. The sensor according to claim 1, comprising a first detector and a second detector mounted so as to perform a differential measurement.

11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor having a differential structure.

12. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein pressure variations from an ambient atmosphere being transmitted, in the first cavity, through at least one opening arranged opposite an opening of said first deformable cavity or a membrane arranged on an opening of said first deformable cavity.

13. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector being mechanically connected to said movable wall.

14. A device for detecting pressure variations, including a plurality of sensors according to claim 1, each sensor having a bandwidth different from a bandwidth of each other sensor in the plurality of sensors.

15. A device for recovering acoustic energy, including a sensor according to claim 1, and further comprising a device storing electrical energy resulting from said pressure variations.

24. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein said movable wall comprises a mobile or deformable wall.

25. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein said first planar layer comprises a planar layer or a substrate.

26. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein said secondary cavity is a buffer cavity.

16. A pressure sensor of the MEMS and/or NEMS type, including:

at least one first deformable cavity configured to receive pressure variations from an ambient atmosphere, this first deformable cavity being made in at least a first planar layer extending in a sensor plane of the pressure sensor, and including at least one movable wall which is movable only along said sensor plane, wherein pressure variations are transmitted through at least one hole from an ambient atmosphere to said cavity; and

at least one detector having a stationary part provided in at least said sensor plane and being mechanically connected to said movable wall to detect a displacement of the movable wall in the sensor plane under the effect of a pressure variation of the ambient atmosphere.

17. The sensor according to claim 16, further having at least one secondary cavity partially in communication with the first cavity, said secondary cavity forming a reference cavity.

18. A method for producing a MEMS and/or NEMS pressure sensor comprising:

producing, in a first planar layer, extending in a sensor plane at least one first deformable cavity for receiving pressure variations from an ambient atmosphere, this deformable cavity being delimited by at least one movable wall which is movable only along said sensor plane;

producing at least one detector configured to detect a displacement, in said sensor plane, of said movable wall, under the effect of a pressure variation, the detector including a stationary part which is stationary relative to the movable wall;

producing at least one secondary cavity, partially in communication with the first cavity, said secondary cavity forming a reference cavity, wherein the secondary cavity is separated from the first cavity at least partially by the at least one movable wall, and the displacement of the movable wall takes place under the effect of a pressure difference between pressures in the first deformable cavity and the secondary cavity; and

producing a means for transmitting pressure pulses from an ambient atmosphere to said cavity.

19. The method according to claim 18, at least one secondary cavity partially communicating with the first cavity, said secondary cavity forming a reference cavity.

20. The method according to claim 19, at least one secondary cavity being made in the plane of a second layer, extending in a plane parallel to said sensor plane, said second layer being different from the first layer, or being made in the plane of the first layer.

21. The method according to claim 20, the first layer and the second layer being assembled via a dielectric layer to form a SOI substrate.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising assembling the first layer with a third layer, extending in a plane parallel to said sensor plane, to form a means for transmitting said pressure variations to the first cavity.

23. The method according to claim 18, said at least one detector being made at least partially in the first layer.