Pressure sensor and microphone

• US 9,759,618 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Enamito, Akihiko, Nishimura, Osamu, Hara, Michiko, Yuasa, Hiromi, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Kii, Masayuki, Fujisawa, Eizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US14/526,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20150047437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 73779, 73862331-862335
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/12 by measuring variations in the magnetic properties of materials resulting from the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/125 by using magnetostrictive means magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/005 Non square semiconductive diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/008 using piezoelectric devices piezoelectric resonators G01L9/0022; surface acoustic waves G01L9/0025
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/16 by making use of variations in the magnetic properties of material resulting from the application of stress

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a pressure sensor includes a base, and a first sensor unit. The first sensor unit includes a first transducer thin film, a first strain sensing device and a second strain sensing device. The first strain sensing device includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first and the second magnetic layers. The second strain sensing device is provided apart from the first strain sensing device on the first membrane surface and provided at a location different from a location of the barycenter, the second strain sensing device including a third magnetic layer, a fourth magnetic layer, and a second intermediate layer provided between the third and the fourth magnetic layers, the first and the second intermediate layers being nonmagnetic. The first and the second strain sensing devices, and the barycenter are in a straight line.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

a film having a surface, the film being flexible;

a first device provided at a location on the surface different from a location of a barycenter of the surface, the first device including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a second device provided apart from the first device on the surface and provided at a location different from the location of the barycenter, the second device including a third magnetic layer, a fourth magnetic layer, and a second intermediate layer provided between the third magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer,

a first straight line passing the first device and the barycenter being oblique with respect to the a second straight line passing the second device and the barycenter.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein further comprising:

a base; and

a fixing unit,

the film being provided on the base,

the fixing unit being connected to an edge portion of the film and configured to fix the edge portion to the base.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein the fixing unit fixes a part of the edge portion of the film to the base, and the part is located on a straight line passing the first device, the second device and the barycenter.

4. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein the fixing unit continuously fixes the edge portion of the film to the base.

5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second device and the first device are arranged along an edge portion of the surface.

6. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a magnetization direction of the third magnetic layer is along one of a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer and a magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer, and

a magnetization direction of the fourth magnetic layer is along the other of the magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer and the magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer.

7. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a processing circuit configured to process a first signal obtained from the first device and a second signal obtained from the second device.

8. The sensor according to claim 7, wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform at least one of an adding process of the first signal and the second signal, a subtracting process of the first signal and the second signal, and a multiplying process of the first signal and the second signal.

9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a length of the first device along a direction perpendicular to a direction from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer is 0.5 μ

m or more and 20 μ

m or less, and

a length of the second device along a direction perpendicular to the direction from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer is 0.5 μ

m or more and 20 μ

m or less.

10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the first device and the barycenter is different from a distance between the second device and the barycenter.

11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first intermediate layer is nonmagnetic;

and

the second intermediate layer is nonmagnetic.

12. A pressure sensor comprising:

a film having a surface, the film being flexible;

a first device provided at a location on the surface different from a location of a barycenter of the surface, the first including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a second device provided apart from the first device on the surface and provided at a location different from the location of the barycenter, the second device including a third magnetic layer, a fourth magnetic layer, and a second intermediate layer provided between the third magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer,

a distance between the first device and the barycenter being different from a distance between the second device and the barycenter.

13. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein further comprising:

a base; and

a fixing unit,

the film being provided on the base,

the fixing unit being connected to an edge portion of the film and configured to fix the edge portion to the base.

14. The sensor according to claim 13, wherein the fixing unit fixes a part of the edge portion of the film to the base, and the part is located on a straight line passing the first device, the second device and the barycenter.

15. The sensor according to claim 13, wherein the fixing unit continuously fixes the edge portion of the film to the base.

16. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein the second device and the first device are arranged along an edge portion of the surface.

17. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein

a magnetization direction of the third magnetic layer is along one of a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer and a magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer, and

a magnetization direction of the fourth magnetic layer is along the other of the magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer and the magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer.

18. The sensor according to claim 12, further comprising a processing circuit configured to process a first signal obtained from the first device and a second signal obtained from the second device.

19. The sensor according to claim 18, wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform at least one of an adding process of the first signal and the second signal, a subtracting process of the first signal and the second signal, and a multiplying process of the first signal and the second signal.

20. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein

a length of the first device along a direction perpendicular to a direction from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer is 0.5 μ

m or more and 20 μ

m or less, and

a length of the second device along a direction perpendicular to the direction from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer is 0.5 μ

m or more and 20 μ

m or less.

21. The sensor according to claim 12, wherein

the first intermediate layer is nonmagnetic;

and

the second intermediate layer is nonmagnetic.