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Solid state force transducer and method of making same

  • US RE31,459 E
  • Filed: 01/28/1980
  • Issued: 12/06/1983
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1976
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. said leaf spring structure..]. .[.19. In a method for fabricating a solid state force transducer, the steps of:

  • forming a leaf spring structure in a wafer by recessing a leaf spring pattern at a selected location through a first major face of said wafer;

    said recessed leaf spring pattern including a pair of mutually opposed E-shaped leaf spring pattern portions, each E-shaped spring pattern portion including a deflectable central leg portion extending outwardly from a central region of the spring structure and a pair of leg portions on opposite side of and extending outwardly from said central region generally parallel to said central leg portion, said outer leg portions being supported at their inner ends from a portion of the wafer and being interconnected at their outer ends to the outer end of said central leg portion for deflection therewith..]. .[.20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of recessing said spring structure from a wafer of said monocrystalline material includes etching said spring structure from said wafer so as to leave an unetched web portion spanning the space between adjacent leg portions of said spring structure, said web portion being substantially thinner than said leg portions being spanned by said web..]. .[.21. In a solid state force transducer;

    1eaf spring means having a plurality of leg portions angularly separated about an axis of maximum compliance and supported so that said leg portions of said leaf spring means are physically displaced relative to the support structure in response to the application of a force to said leaf spring means;

    output sensor means disposed relative to said leaf spring means so as to be responsive to the displacement of at least one of said leg portions in the direction of maximum compliance for deriving an output which is a function of the force applied to the transducer; and

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