Sensor and method for fabricating the same
First Claim
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1. A sensor for measuring environmental forces, said sensor comprising:
- a vent cavity in a substrate wafer extending from an opening in the top surface of said substrate wafer and continuing along a channel to an outlet in an exterior surface of said substrate wafer, the channel having a depth extending into the top surface of the substrate wafer;
a first device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said first device layer is bonded to said top surface of said substrate wafer, and wherein a portion of the bottom surface of said first device layer and a portion of said top surface of said substrate wafer are spaced apart by the channel;
a diaphragm cavity extending through said first device layer to said vent cavity;
a second device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said second device layer is bonded to the top surface of said first device layer to form a diaphragm over said diaphragm cavity, wherein a top surface of the diaphragm is in direct contact with an environment exterior to the sensor, and a bottom surface of the diaphragm is in direct contact with the environment exterior to the sensor via the diaphragm cavity and the vent cavity; and
a sensing element in said second device layer, the sensing element located proximate to said diaphragm to sense. flexure in said diaphragm.
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Abstract
A sensor and method for fabricating a sensor is disclosed that in one embodiment bonds an etched semiconductor substrate wafer to an etched first device wafer comprising a silicon on insulator wafer which is then bonded to a second device wafer comprising a silicon on insulator wafer to create a vented, suspended structure, the flexure of which is sensed by an embedded sensing element to measure differential pressure. In one embodiment, interconnect channels embedded in the sensor facilitate streamlined packaging of the device while accommodating interconnectivity with other devices.
16 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A sensor for measuring environmental forces, said sensor comprising:
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a vent cavity in a substrate wafer extending from an opening in the top surface of said substrate wafer and continuing along a channel to an outlet in an exterior surface of said substrate wafer, the channel having a depth extending into the top surface of the substrate wafer; a first device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said first device layer is bonded to said top surface of said substrate wafer, and wherein a portion of the bottom surface of said first device layer and a portion of said top surface of said substrate wafer are spaced apart by the channel; a diaphragm cavity extending through said first device layer to said vent cavity; a second device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said second device layer is bonded to the top surface of said first device layer to form a diaphragm over said diaphragm cavity, wherein a top surface of the diaphragm is in direct contact with an environment exterior to the sensor, and a bottom surface of the diaphragm is in direct contact with the environment exterior to the sensor via the diaphragm cavity and the vent cavity; and a sensing element in said second device layer, the sensing element located proximate to said diaphragm to sense. flexure in said diaphragm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A sensor for measuring environmental forces, the sensor having a distal end and a proximal end, said sensor comprising:
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a vent cavity in a substrate wafer extending from an opening in a top surface of said substrate wafer near the distal end and continuing along a channel toward the proximal end to an outlet in an exterior surface of said substrate wafer near the proximal end, the channel having a depth extending into the top surface of the substrate wafer; a first device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said first device layer is bonded to said top surface of said substrate wafer, and wherein a portion of the bottom surface of said first device layer and a portion of said top surface of said substrate wafer are spaced apart by the channel; a diaphragm cavity extending through said first device layer to said vent cavity; a second device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said second device layer is bonded to the top surface of said first device layer to form a diaphragm over said diaphragm cavity; and a sensing element in said second device layer, the sensing element located proximate to the diaphragm to sense flexure in said diaphragm. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An sensor for measuring enviromnental forces, the sensor having a distal end and a proximal end, said sensor comprising:
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a vent cavity in a substrate wafer extending from an opening in a top surface of said substrate wafer near the distal end and continuing along a channel toward the proximal end to an outlet in an exterior surface of said substrate wafer near the proximal end, the channel having a depth extending into the top surface of the substrate wafer; a first device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said first device layer is bonded to said top surface of said substrate wafer, and wherein a portion of the bottom surface of said first device layer and a portion of said top surface of said substrate wafer are spaced apart by the channel; a diaphragm cavity extending through said first device layer to said vent cavity; a second device layer, wherein the bottom surface of said second device layer is bonded to the top surface of said first device layer to form a diaphragm over said diaphragm cavity, wherein a top surface of the diaphragm is in direct contact with an environment exterior to the sensor, and a bottom surface of the diaphragm is in direct communication with an environment exterior to the sensor via the diaphragm cavity and the vent cavity; and a sensing element in said second device layer, the sensing, element located proximate to the diaphragm to sense flexure in said diaphragm. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification