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US 11,237,077 B2Granted
Stress sensor, structural health monitoring system for constructions and process for manufacturing a stress sensor
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorSanto Alessandro Smerzi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stress sensor includes: a substrate, having a face and a recess, open to the face; and a sensor chip of semiconductor material, housed in the recess and bonded to the substrate, the sensor chip being provided with a plurality of sensing components of piezoresistive material. The substrate has a thickness which is less by at least one order of magnitude with respect to a main dimension of the face. Further, the sensor chip has a thickness which is less by at least one order of magnitude with respect to the thickness of the substrate, and a Young's module of the substrate and a Young's module of the sensor chip are of the same order of magnitude.
Claims22
A stress sensor, comprising:
- a substrate, having a face and a recess, which is open on the face;
- and
- a sensor chip of semiconductor material, housed in the recess and fixed to the substrate, the sensor chip being provided with a plurality of sensing components of piezoresistive material, wherein:
- the substrate has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than a main dimension of the face;
- the sensor chip has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than the thickness of the substrate;
- the substrate and sensor chip have respective Young's moduli of a same order of magnitude;
- and
- the substrate includes a frame portion that delimits the recess and is separated from the sensor chip by a gap.
5 more elements
A method for manufacturing a stress sensor, comprising:
- forming a substrate having a face and a recess that is open on the face, the forming the substrate including forming a frame portion on a ceramic base, the frame portion delimiting the recess, the frame portion and the ceramic base being of a same ceramic material;
- housing a sensor chip in the recess, the sensor chip being provided with a plurality of sensing components of piezoresistive material;
- and
- affixing the sensor chip to the substrate, wherein:
- the substrate has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than a main dimension of the face;
- the sensor chip has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than the thickness of the substrate;
- and
- the substrate and the sensor chip having respective Young's moduli of a same order of magnitude.
5 more elements
A stress sensor, comprising:
- a substrate, having a face and a recess, which is open on the face;
- a sensor chip of semiconductor material, housed in the recess and fixed to the substrate, the sensor chip being provided with a plurality of sensing components of piezoresistive material;
- and
- a hard die-attach layer that bonds the sensor chip to the substrate and forms a stack with the sensor chip, wherein:
- the substrate has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than a main dimension of the face;
- the sensor chip has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than the thickness of the substrate;
- the substrate and sensor chip have respective Young's moduli of a same order of magnitude;
- the recess has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being deeper and narrower than the second portion and housing the sensor chip;
- the first portion of the recess is provided in a bottom wall of the second portion of the recess and has a depth greater than a thickness of the stack formed by the sensor chip and by the hard die-attach layer;
- and
- a distance between a vertical face of the sensor chip and a vertical face of the second portion is of a same order of magnitude as a main dimension of the sensor chip.
8 more elements
A stress sensor, comprising:
- a substrate, having a face and a recess, which is open on the face;
- a sensor chip of semiconductor material, housed in the recess and fixed to the substrate, the sensor chip being provided with a plurality of sensing components of piezoresistive material;
- a first antenna on the sensor chip;
- a second antenna provided on the substrate;
- and
- a connector coupled to the second antenna and configured for a wired connection with an external device, the first antenna and the second antenna being configured for mutual radiofrequency communication,
- wherein:
- the substrate has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than a main dimension of the face;
- the sensor chip has a thickness smaller by at least one order of magnitude than the thickness of the substrate;
- and
- the substrate and the sensor chip have respective Young's moduli of a same order of magnitude.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.