Methods for fabricating pressure sensors with non-silicon diaphragms

A method of manufacturing a pressure sensor, the method comprising:

• forming a cavity in a first side of a silicon starting material;
• depositing a layer of a second material over the cavity;
• removing a first portion of material above the cavity from a second side of the silicon starting material opposite to the first side wherein the first portion of material is removed in four separate areas to expose the second material to the second side to form a diaphragm from the second material and wherein, a second portion of material above the cavity that was not removed from the silicon starting material, forms a first support structure that spans the diaphragm and a second support structure that spans the diaphragm perpendicular to the first support structure;
• and
• forming at least one piezoresistor in the silicon starting material over an intersection of the first support structure and the silicon starting material at an outside edge of the diaphragm on the second side.

A method of manufacturing a pressure sensor, the method comprising:

• forming a cavity in a first side of a silicon starting material;
• depositing a layer of a second material over the cavity;
• removing a first portion of material above the cavity from a second side of the silicon starting material opposite to the first side wherein the first portion of material is removed in four separate rectangles of a same size and spaced apart to expose the second material to the second side and form a diaphragm from the second material and wherein, a second portion of material above the cavity that was not removed from the silicon starting material forms a first support structure that spans the diaphragm and a second support structure that spans the diaphragm perpendicular to the first support structure;
• and
• forming at least one piezoresistor in the silicon starting material over an intersection of the first support structure and the silicon starting material at an outside edge of the diaphragm on the second side.