The present disclosure relates generally to pressure sensors, and more particularly, to media isolated pressure sensors.
Pressure sensors are used in a wide variety of applications including, for example, commercial, automotive, aerospace, industrial, and medical applications. Pressure sensors often use a pressure sense die that is mounted to a pressure sensor package using a die attach. The pressure sense die is often configured to detect a pressure of a sensed media by converting mechanical stress induced by the sensed media in a sense diaphragm of the pressure sense die into an electrical output signal. The most common configuration for a pressure sensor used for high pressure applications allows for fluid pressure to be applied to the top side of the pressure sense die while at the time allowing the fluid to be sensed to come into contact with the electrical components of the sensor. If the fluid is an inert gas, then such a configuration may be sufficient. However, in some applications, the sensed media may be corrosive or conductive, and exposure to the fluid to be sensed can cause damage to some components of the pressure sensor die and/or may cause a short in some of the electrical components of the pressure sense die. For these applications, it may be desirable to isolate the sensitive components of the pressure sensor die from the media to be sensed. Also, for higher pressure applications, it may be desirable to mount the pressure sense die to the pressure sensor package such that the incoming, downward pressure of the media does not cause the die attach to fail which is a common deficiency of sensors when high pressures are applied to a backside of the sensor. A sensor construction that allows for the downward application of pressure to the sensing die and that also isolates the sensitive components of the pressure sensing die from the media to be sensed may provide a robust pressure sensor that can be used in a variety of environments.
The present disclosure relates generally to pressure sensors, and more particularly, to media isolated pressure sensors.
An example pressure sensor may include a pressure sensing element and a top cap. The pressure sensing element may include a bonded wafer substrate having a buried sealed cavity. A wall of the buried sealed cavity may form a sensing diaphragm along on an upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. One or more sense elements may be supported by the sensing diaphragm of the bonded wafer substrate, and one or more bond pads may be supported by the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. Each of the one or more bond pads may be positioned adjacent to the sensing diaphragm and electrically connected to one or more of the sense elements. The top cap may be secured to the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate such that an aperture in the top cap facilitates passage of a media to the sensing diaphragm. The top cap may also be configured to isolate the one or more bond pads of the pressure sensing element from the media.
A method of making a pressure sensor may include obtaining a bonded wafer substrate having a buried sealed cavity, wherein a wall of the buried sealed cavity forms a sensing diaphragm along on an upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. One or more sense elements may be provided on the sensing diaphragm of the bonded wafer substrate. One or more bond pads may be provided on the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. Each of the one or more bond pads may be positioned adjacent to the sensing diaphragm and electrically connected to one or more of the sense elements. A top cap may be secured to the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. The top cap may include an aperture that facilitates passage of a media to the sensing diaphragm. The top cap may also be configured to isolate the one or more bond pads from the media during use.
The preceding summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present disclosure and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the disclosure can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
The disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following description of various illustrative embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
While the disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit aspects of the disclosure to the particular illustrative embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
The following description should be read with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views. The description and the drawing, which is not necessarily to scale, depicts an illustrative embodiment and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The illustrative embodiment depicted is intended only as exemplary.
As used herein, the term “fluid” is not intended to be limited to a liquid. Rather, the term “fluid” is intended to include any material subject to flow such as, but not limited to, liquids and/or gases.
The illustrative media isolated reference pressure sensor 10 may include a pressure port 14 attached to a top cap 20, which may be coupled to a pressure sense element such as a pressure sense die 24. In some cases, the pressure sense die 24 may be fabricated using a bonded silicon wafer having a buried sealed cavity 64. The buried sealed cavity 64 may have a vacuum reference pressure, or any other suitable reference pressure as desired. When so provided, the bonded silicon wafer may form a sensing diaphragm 60 that is referenced to the reference pressure in the buried sealed cavity 64. The sensing diaphragm 60 may be stressed and/or deform in response to an applied pressure by the media. This stress and/or deformation can be detected by one or more sense elements 80 on or embedded within the sensing diaphragm 60. Output signals that are related to the applied pressure may be provided via one or more bond pads 34.
The top cap 20 may be bonded to the pressure sensing die 24 such that wire bond pads 34 on an upper surface 38 of the pressure sensing die 24 are isolated from the media to be sensed. While not required, the pressure sensor 10 may be constructed such that pressure from the media to be sensed is applied to the upper surface 38 of the pressure sensing die 24 as shown, which may force the pressure sensing die 24 toward a suitable carrier 26 (see
As shown in
In some instances, the top cap 20 may be a silicon or glass die, and may include an opening or other aperture 56 that allows media introduced through the pressure port 14 to come into contact with an upper surface 38 of the pressure sensing die 24 when the top cap wafer 20 is bonded to the pressure sensing die 24, as can be best seen in
As discussed above, the pressure sensing die 24 may be fabricated starting with a bonded silicon wafer having a buried sealed cavity 64. As best shown in
The first wafer 70 and the second wafer 72 may be silicon wafers that are bonded together as described above. In another example, the pressure sensing die 24 may be formed using a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafer having a buried sealed cavity 64. Such a pressure sensing die 24 may be similar to that shown in
In some instances, starting with the bonded silicon wafer having a buried sealed cavity 64, standard pattern, implant, diffusion and/or metal interconnect processes may be used to form one or more elements on the upper surface 38 of the bonded silicon wafer. For example, one or more piezoresistive sense elements 80 may be formed on the sensing diaphragm 60. The piezoresistive sense elements 80 may be configured to have an electrical resistance that varies according to an applied mechanical stress (e.g. deflection of pressure sensing diaphragm 60). The piezoresistive sense elements 80 can thus be used to convert the applied pressure into an electrical signal. In some instances, the piezoresistive components may include a silicon piezoresistive material; however, other non-silicon materials may be used. In some cases, the piezoresistive sense elements 80 may be connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration (full or half bridge). It will be generally understood that the piezoresistive sense elements 80 are only one example of a pressure sensing element, and it is contemplated that any other suitable sensing elements may be used, as desired.
One or more bond pads 34 may be formed on the upper surface 38 of the bonded silicon wafer and adjacent to the sensing diaphragm 60. Metal, diffusion or other interconnect may be provided to interconnect the one or more piezoresistive sensor elements 80 and the one or more bond pads 34. In some cases, signal conditioning circuitry 81 may also be formed in or on the upper surface 38 of the bonded silicon wafer (see
In operation, a media to be sensed can be provided to the first end 46 of the fluid passageway 42 of the optional pressure port 14. The media to be sensed will have a pressure, which is transmitted through the media to the sensing diaphragm 60. The applied pressure deforms the diaphragm 60. A pressure difference between the pressure of the media to be sensed and the pressure in the buried sealed cavity 64 causes a stress and/or deflection in the pressure sensing diaphragm 60 of the pressure sense die 24, which then stresses one or more sense elements 80 on the pressure sensing diaphragm 60. When the sense elements 80 are piezoresistive sense elements, applying a current through the sense elements 80 provides a signal that corresponds to the amount of pressure applied by the media to the sensing diaphragm 60. In some cases, the resulting signal may be conditioned by conditioning circuitry 81 and output via electrical leads (not shown).
A method of making a pressure sensor 10 may include obtaining a bonded wafer substrate having a buried sealed cavity 64, wherein a wall of the buried sealed cavity 64 forms a sensing diaphragm 60 along on an upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. One or more sense elements 80 may be provided on the sensing diaphragm 60 of the bonded wafer substrate. One or more bond pads 34 may be provided on the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. Each of the one or more bond pads 34 may be positioned adjacent to the sensing diaphragm 60 and electrically connected to one or more of the sense elements 80. A top cap 20 may be secured to the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. The top cap 20 may include an aperture 56 that facilitates passage of a media to the sensing diaphragm 60. The top cap 20 may also be configured to isolate the one or more bond pads 34 from the media during use.
Having thus described several illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure, those of skill in the art will readily appreciate that yet other embodiments may be made and used within the scope of the claims hereto attached. Numerous advantages of the disclosure covered by this document have been set forth in the foregoing description. It will be understood, however, that this disclosure is, in many respect, only illustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts without exceeding the scope of the disclosure. The disclosure's scope is, of course, defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed.
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