Back to results
US 11,254,559 B2Granted
FET based sensory systems
OwnerKris Vossough, Farhang Yazdaniinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention describes the structure and function of an integrated multi-sensing system. Integrated systems described herein may be configured to form a microphone, pressure sensor, gas sensor, multi-axis gyroscope or accelerometer. The sensor uses a variety of different Field Effect Transistor technologies (horizontal, vertical, Si nanowire, CNT, SiC and III-V semiconductors) in conjunction with MEMS based structures such as cantilevers, membranes and proof masses integrated into silicon substrates. It also describes a configurable method for tuning the integrated system to specific resonance frequency using electronic design.
Claims9
A sensor comprising:
- one or more transistor portions, wherein
- said one or more transistor portions include at least a source, a drain, and a channel, and are arranged by a sidewall that defines a face plane of the one or more transistor portions;
- and
- one or more sensing elements, wherein
- an edge of said one or more sensing elements behaves as moving gate of said one or more transistor portions,
- an electric field is applied to said edge of said one or more sensing elements,
- said one or more transistor portions is/are biased,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are flexible,
- source wells and drain wells of said one or more transistor portions can be coplanar or stacked,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements moves along a path that is curved about a radius of curvature, wherein a line along a middle of said edge stays parallel to the face plane as said edge moves along the path,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements is separated from said one or more transistor portions by a gap,
- there is no physical contact between said edge of said one or more sensing elements and said one or more transistor portions, and
- said one or more sensing elements is/are one or more membranes.
10 more elements
A sensor comprising:
- one or more transistor portions, wherein
- said one or more transistor portions include at least a source, a drain, and a channel, and are arranged by a sidewall that defines a face plane of the one or more transistor portions;
- and
- one or more sensing elements, wherein
- an edge of said one or more sensing elements behaves as moving gate of said one or more transistor portions,
- an electric field is applied to said edge of said one or more sensing elements,
- said one or more transistor portions is/are biased,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are flexible,
- source wells and drain wells of said one or more transistor portions can be coplanar or stacked,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements moves along a path that is curved about a radius of curvature, wherein a line along a middle of said edge stays parallel to the face plane as said edge moves along the path,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements is separated from said one or more transistor portions by a gap,
- there is no physical contact between said edge of said one or more sensing elements and said one or more transistor portions,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are one or more membranes,
- said one or more membranes can flex due to acoustic signals,
- said one or more membranes can flex due to pressure,
- said one or more sensing elements can flex due to inertial force, and
- deflection in said one or more membranes modulates a drain current in said one or more transistor portions.
14 more elements
A sensor comprising:
- one or more transistor portions, wherein
- said one or more transistor portions include at least a source, a drain, a channel, and are arranged by a sidewall that defines a face plane of the one or more transistor portions;
- and
- one or more sensing elements, wherein
- an edge of said one or more sensing elements behaves as moving gate of said one or more transistor portions,
- an electric field is applied to said edge of said one or more sensing elements,
- said one or more transistor portions is/are biased,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are flexible,
- source wells and drain wells of said one or more transistor portions can be coplanar or stacked,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements moves along a path that is curved about a radius of curvature, wherein a line along a middle of said edge stays parallel to the face plane as said edge moves along the path,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements is separated from said one or more transistor portions by a gap,
- there is no physical contact between said edge of said one or more sensing elements and said one or more transistor portions,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are one or more membranes,
- said one or more membranes can flex due to acoustic signals,
- said one or more membranes can flex due to pressure,
- said one or more sensing elements can flex due to inertial force,
- deflection in said one or more membranes modulates a drain current in said one or more transistor portions, and
- the magnitude of the change in said drain current determines the sensitivity to said acoustic signals or said pressure or said inertial force.
15 more elements
A sensor comprising:
- one or more transistor portions, wherein
- said one or more transistor portions include at least a source, a drain, and a channel, and are arranged by a sidewall that defines a face plane of the one or more transistor portions;
- and
- one or more sensing elements, wherein
- an edge of said one or more sensing elements behaves as moving gate of said one or more transistor portions,
- an electric field is applied to said edge of said one or more sensing elements,
- said one or more transistor portions is/are biased,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are flexible,
- source wells and drain wells of said one or more transistor portions can be coplanar or stacked,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements moves along a path that is curved about a radius of curvature, wherein a line along a middle of said edge stays parallel to the face plane as said edge moves along the path,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements is separated from said one or more transistor portions by a gap,
- there is no physical contact between said edge of said one or more sensing elements and said one or more transistor portions,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are one or more membranes,
- said one or more membranes can flex due to acoustic signals,
- said one or more membranes can flex due to pressure,
- said one or more sensing elements can flex due to inertial force,
- deflection in said one or more membranes modulates a drain current in said one or more transistor portions,
- the magnitude of the change in said drain current determines the sensitivity to said acoustic signals or said pressure or said inertial force,
- said one or more membranes is/are attached to a substrate using elevated membrane support structure, and
- said one or more membranes is/are arranged in stacked configuration to transfer maximum deflection of a sensing membrane.
17 more elements
A sensor comprising:
- one or more transistor portions, wherein
- said one or more transistor portions include at least a source, a drain, and a channel, and are arranged by a sidewall that defines a face plane of the one or more transistor portions;
- and
- one or more sensing elements, wherein
- an edge of said one or more sensing elements behaves as moving gate of said one or more transistor portions,
- an electric field is applied to said edge of said one or more sensing elements,
- said one or more transistor portions is/are biased,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are flexible,
- source wells and drain wells of said one or more transistor portions can be coplanar or stacked,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements moves along a path that is curved about a radius of curvature, wherein a line along a middle of said edge stays parallel to the face plane as said edge moves along the path,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements is separated from said one or more transistor portions by a gap,
- there is no physical contact between said edge of said one or more sensing elements and said one or more transistor portions,
- said one or more sensing elements is/are attached to a substrate using elevated membrane support structure, and
- said one or more sensing elements is/are arranged in stacked configuration to transfer maximum deflection of a sensing membrane.
11 more elements
A sensor comprising:
- one or more transistor portions, wherein
- said one or more transistor portions include at least a source, a drain, and a channel, and are arranged by a sidewall that defines a face plane of the one or more transistor portions;
- and
- one or more sensing elements, wherein
- an edge of said one or more sensing elements behaves as moving gate of said one or more transistor portions,
- an electric field is applied to said edge of said one or more sensing elements,
- said one or more transistor portions is/are biased,
- source wells and drain wells of said one or more transistor portions can be coplanar or stacked,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements moves along a path that is curved about a radius of curvature, wherein a line along a middle of said edge stays parallel to the face plane as said edge moves along the path,
- said edge of said one or more sensing elements is separated from said one or more transistor portions by a gap,
- there is no physical contact between said edge of said one or more sensing elements and said one or more transistor portions, and
- said one or more sensing elements is/are one or more membranes.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.