US 2004/0166601 A1Published application

Semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor

AssigneeDenso Corporation

InventorsShinji Yoshihara, Inao Toyoda, Yasutoshi Suzuki

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Abstract

A semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor detects a dynamic force and a fault diagnosis through the use of a single bridge circuit. Sensor output terminals are connected to midpoints between gauge resistors to make a combination of the midpoints at which an equal electric potential is measured when no pressure is applied to a diaphragm of the sensor. Fault diagnostic output terminals are connected to wiring patterns in the same manner as the first output terminals. One of the sensor output terminals has three selectable terminals connected to different positions of the midpoint. One of the diagnostic output terminals also has three selectable terminals connected to different positions of the wiring patterns. Accordingly, an offset voltage of the sensor output and the fault diagnostic output can be adjusted appropriately when one of the selectable terminals are selected as appropriate.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor comprising:

a semiconductor substrate that has a diaphragm changing a shape thereof in accordance with an application of a dynamic quantity;
a bridge circuit that has four gauge resistors formed on the semiconductor substrate, resistances of the four gauge resistors that vary based on a stress with respect to changing the shape of the diaphragm, each of the four gauge resistors that has a plurality of divisional gauge resistors;
a pair of first output terminals connected to a pair of respective first midpoints between the gauge resistors, a differential electric potential between the first output terminals that is used as a sensor output;
and
a pair of second output terminals connected to a pair of respective second midpoints between the divisional gauge resistors, a differential electric potential between the second output terminals that is used as a diagnostic output, wherein at least one of the first output terminals has plurality terminals connected to different positions of the midpoint, and
at least one of the second output terminals has plurality terminals connected to different positions of the wiring pattern.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/625,896Filed 24 Jul 2003
Priority: JP 2002-21664825 Jul 2002
Published: 26 Aug 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G01L 9/0054
Of piezoresistive elements: integral with a semiconducting diaphragm
G01L 9/06
By making use of variations in ohmic resistance, e.g. of potentiometers , electric circuits therefor, e.g. bridges, amplifiers or signal…
G01L 27/005
Calibrating, i.e. establishing true relation between transducer output value and value to be measured, zeroing, linearising or span error…:…
G01L 27/007
Testing or calibrating of apparatus for measuring fluid pressure: malfunction diagnosis, i.e. diagnosing a sensor defect