Waterproof pressure sensing device with improved reliability and performance
AssigneeKulite Semiconductor Products, Inc.
InventorsAlexander A. Ned, Scott Goodman, Andrew Bemis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure transducer assembly configured for low-pressure measurements in water or high humidity environments, the pressure transducer assembly having a non-corrosive housing, an upside-down mounted pressure sensor chip comprising silicon and contact glass, and an electrically insulating and stress-absorbing spacer layer disposed between the non-corrosive housing and the contact glass of the sensor chip, the spacer layer is matched to a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of one or more of the glass and the silicon of the sensor chip to absorb stress and improve reliability. The pressure transducer assembly may be suitable for use in microphone and/or hydrophone applications.
Claims20
A pressure sensor device, comprising:
- a non-corrosive housing;
- a sensor chip comprising silicon and contact glass, the sensor chip configured for low-pressure measurements;
- an electrically insulating and stress-absorbing spacer layer disposed between the non-corrosive housing and the contact glass of the sensor chip;
- at least two electrical feedthrough pins;
- electrical interconnections disposed between the sensor chip and the electrical feedthrough pins;
- wherein a back end of the pressure sensor device is hermetically sealed;
- and
- wherein only a backside of the sensor chip, the spacer layer, and the housing is exposed to pressure media during use.
A method of assembling a pressure sensor device, the method comprising:
- forming a non-corrosive housing, the housing comprising a header shell, a lip rim, and a bottom having electrically insulated pin-feedthrough openings;
- mounting an electrically insulating and stress-absorbing spacer to the lip rim;
- mounting a pressure sensing chip comprising a silicon sensor on insulator (SOI) to the spacer so that the insulator of the pressure sensing chip is against the spacer;
- installing electrical feedthrough pins in the pin-feedthrough openings;
- forming electrical wire interconnections between the pressure sensing chip and the electrical feedthrough pins;
- and
- sealing the pressure sensor device so that only the pressure sensing chip, the spacer, and the housing are exposed to pressure media during use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.