Pressure sensor, method for manufacture thereof, and pressure detection module

• US 9,423,309 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan), Nippon Mektron Limited (NOK Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan), Nippon Mektron Limited (NOK Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Sagisaka, Takashi, Kimura, Taisuke, Ohsawa, Takashige, Iizuka, Katsuyoshi, Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, Ohmura, Yoshiyuki, Nagakubo, Akihiko, Ozaki, Kazuyuki, Nakajima, Masatoshi, Noguchi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNLAP, JONATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/123,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 324/661, 738/626.25, 737/15, 737/18, 738/620.46, 738/626.26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/20 by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/228 using tactile array force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A pressure sensor comprising: a base film on which a conductor pattern having one or more electrodes is formed; a cover film laminated on the base film so as to cover the electrodes of the conductor pattern; and a spacer disposed between the cover film and the base film so as to form a hollow portion having a predetermined gap between the electrode and the cover film; wherein a portion corresponding to the hollow portion of the cover film is constructed such that it has a pressure sensing part which is able to deform in a direction to move toward and away from the electrode in accordance with pressure, and of which contact resistance changes in accordance with a contact pressure thereof with the electrode, so that the pressure sensing part detects the pressure by a change of the contact resistance.

Claims

1. A method for manufacture of a pressure sensor, comprising:

forming a conductor pattern by means of a subtractive process in which a metal foil laminated through an adhesive agent on a surface of a base film is subjected to etching processing to provide a pair of electrodes on said base film;

laminating a photosensitive cover on said base film, and removing at least a portion of said conductor pattern corresponding to said pair of electrodes thereby to cause said portion to be exposed, while covering a remaining portion of said conductor pattern with a remaining portion of said photosensitive cover;

applying metal plating treatment for prevention of oxidation to the exposed portion of said conductor pattern including said pair of electrodes; and

forming, thereafter, a hollow portion opened to outside air in the removed portion of said photosensitive cover corresponding to said pair of electrodes, by laminating a cover film with a pressure sensing part formed thereon in advance in which contact resistance thereof changes according to a pressure of contact thereof with said electrodes, and by bonding said cover film to the remaining portion of said photosensitive cover by means of an adhesive agent.

2. The method for manufacture of a pressure sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein

at the time of removing that portion of said photosensitive cover which corresponds to said electrode on said base film, said photosensitive cover is used to shape a spacer and a bank, and said cover film is bonded to said spacer, but non-bonded to said bank.