Moisture sensor arrangement

• US 9,846,135 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E+E Elektronik Ges.m.b.H. (Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH)
• Original Assignee: E+E Elektronik Ges.m.b.H. (Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH)
• Inventors: Mayer, Elmar, Niessner, Georg, Runck, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kidanu, Gedeon M
• Application Number:
  US13/868,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20130287062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 73335, 374142, 257414
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/225 by using hygroscopic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/228 Circuits therefor measuring capacitance per se G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/04 the substrate being a semiconductor body

Abstract

A moisture sensor arrangement including a plate-like semiconductor substrate and an integrated signal processing component disposed on a first side of the semiconductor substrate. The moisture sensor arrangement including a capacitive moisture sensor connected electrically conductively to the integrated signal processing component, wherein the capacitive moisture sensor is disposed on either the first side or a second side of the semiconductor substrate that is opposite the first side of the semiconductor substrate. In addition, the plate-like semiconductor substrate includes 1) plated through-holes, by way of which elements on the first side and the second side of the semiconductor substrate are electrically connectable to one another; and 2) a temperature sensor integrated with the integrated signal processing component.

Claims

1. A moisture sensor arrangement, comprising:

a plate-like semiconductor substrate;

an integrated signal processing component arranged juxtaposed to a first side of said semiconductor substrate, wherein said integrated signal processing component is embodied as a CMOS layer stack and wherein said integrated signal processing component comprises;

an analog/digital converter unit for reading in and digitizing analog measurement signals of a capacitive moisture sensor and a temperature sensor;

an evaluation unit for determining a measured variable from said analog measurement signals that have been read in;

a digital interface unit for serial transmission of said determined measured variable to a downstream subsequent electronic unit;

a nonvolatile memory, in which calibration data relating to said temperature sensor to which said evaluation unit has access for temperature determination are stored;

wherein said capacitive moisture sensor comprises;

a plate capacitor consisting essentially of;

a single two-dimensional basic electrode extending along a single plane; and

a two-dimensional cover electrode facing said single two-dimensional basic electrode; and

a moisture-sensitive measurement layer disposed between said single two-dimensional basic electrode and said two-dimensional cover electrode, and

wherein said capacitive moisture sensor is connected electrically conductively to said integrated signal processing component, wherein said capacitive moisture sensor is disposed on either said first side or a second side of said semiconductor substrate that is opposite said first side of said semiconductor substrate, wherein

said plate-like semiconductor substrate comprises;

plated through-holes, by way of which elements on said first side and said second side of said semiconductor substrate are electrically connectable to one another; and

said temperature sensor, wherein said temperature sensor is integrated with said integrated signal processing component.

2. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising spherical contacting elements disposed on either 1) said first side of said semiconductor substrate when said capacitive moisture sensor is disposed on said second side of said semiconductor substrate or 2) said second side of said semiconductor substrate when said capacitive moisture sensor is disposed on said first side of said semiconductor substrate.

3. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein via said plated through-holes, transmission of said analog measurement signals of said moisture sensor to said integrated signal processing component is accomplished.

4. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said capacitive moisture sensor is disposed vertically above said integrated signal processing component, and via said plated through-holes, said integrated signal processing component is connected electrically conductively to contacting elements on said second side of said semiconductor substrate.

5. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein via said plated through-holes, energy supplied to said integrated signal processing component and serial transmission of said measured variable to said downstream subsequent electronic unit are effected.

6. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said integrated signal processing component comprises an insulation layer, on a side of said integrated signal processing component facing toward said capacitive moisture sensor, on which said single two-dimensional basic electrode is disposed, wherein said moisture-sensitive measurement layer is disposed above said single two-dimensional basic electrode, and said two-dimensional cover electrode is disposed above said moisture-sensitive measurement layer.

7. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said integrated signal processing component is disposed on another one of said first side or said second side of said semiconductor substrate and wherein said moisture sensor and said integrated signal processing component are connected electrically conductively to one another via said plated through-holes.

8. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 7, wherein, via said plated through-holes, transmission of said analog measurement signals of said capacitive moisture sensor to said integrated signal processing component is effected.

9. The moisture sensor arrangement according to claim 7, wherein via said plated through-holes, transmission of analog measurement signals of said moisture sensor to said integrated signal processing component is accomplished.