# US 2014/0191221 A1 · Piezoelectric pressure sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191221 A1 - Document ID: US20140191221A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/178,762 - Filed: 2014-02-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-14 - Assignees: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives - Applicants: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives - Inventors: Mohammed BENWADIH; Abdelkader ALIANE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191221A1 ## CPC - H10N 30/857: Macromolecular compositions - G01L 1/16: using properties of piezoelectric devices - G01L 9/008: {using piezoelectric devices (piezoelectric resonators G01L9/0022; surface acoustic waves G01L9/0025)} - G01L 9/06: of piezo-resistive devices - G01L 9/08: by making use of piezoelectric devices {, i.e. electric circuits therefor} - H10N 30/302: {Sensors} - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) ## Abstract A pressure sensor including a lower substrate having two electrodes partially covered with a semiconductor layer and a piezoelectric layer made of a piezoelectric material, and in contact with the semiconductor layer in such a way that semiconductor material is in contact with the piezoelectric material and with the two electrodes, deposited thereon. The electrodes are intended to be connected to a voltage source or to a device for measuring the intensity of a current generated by the displacement of the electric charges in the semiconductor layer between the electrodes, said electric charges being created when a pressure is exerted on the piezoelectric layer. REPLACEMENT SHEET ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pressure sensor comprising a piezoelectric material, wherein it comprises at least one lower substrate having two electrodes, partially covered with a semiconductor layer made of a semiconductor material, deposited thereon, and a piezoelectric layer made of a piezoelectric material, and in contact with the semiconductor layer in such a way that semiconductor material is in contact with the piezoelectric material and with the two electrodes, the piezoelectric layer being systematically in contact with the electrodes, said electrodes being capable of being connected to a voltage source or to a device for measuring the intensity of a current generated by the displacement of electric charges in the semiconductor layer between the electrodes, said electric charges being created when a pressure is exerted on the piezoelectric layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein it further comprises a dielectric layer made of a dielectric material, locally inserted between the piezoelectric layer and the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein it comprises a dielectric layer made of a dielectric material deposited on the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode deposited on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, an insulating layer deposited on the upper surface of the dielectric layer and the gate electrode, the piezoelectric layer being deposited on the semiconductor layer/dielectric layer/gate electrode/insulating layer assembly in such a way that piezoelectric material is in contact with the semiconductor material and the two electrodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises dipoles aligned along the direction of the exerted pressure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The pressure sensor of claim 4, wherein the dipoles of the piezoelectric layer are aligned by application of an electric field E between the electrodes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The pressure sensor of claim 4, wherein the piezoelectric layer receives another electrode, an wherein an electric field E is applied between electrode and one or the other of or the two electrodes deposited on the substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The pressure sensor of claim 5, wherein the electric field E applied between the electrodes is in the range from 0.3 and 0.7 volt per micrometer at a temperature in the range from 40 to 60° C. for a time period between 20 minutes and 8 hours. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The pressure sensor of claim 6, wherein the electric field E applied between the electrode and one or the other of or the two electrodes is in the range from 0.3 and 0.7 volt per micrometer at a temperature in the range from 40 to 60° C. for a time period between 20 minutes and 8 hours. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the lower substrate is made of a material selected from the group comprising glass, polycarbonate, doped or undoped silicon, polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), and acrylates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer is made of a material selected from the group comprising semiconductor organic molecules such as tetracene, pentacene, phthalocyanine, semiconductor polymers such as polythiophene, polyfluorene, polyphenylene vinylene or derivatives thereof such as poly (3-octyl), thiophene, poly [2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-], phenylene, vinylene or oligomer such as a-sexithiophenes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric layer is made of a material selected from the group comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinylidene fluoride copolymers such as PVDF-TrFE or PVDF-TFE, and LZT (Lead—Zinc—Titanium oxide). ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The pressure sensor of claim 2, wherein the dielectric layer is made of a material selected from the group comprising silicon dioxide, silicon nitrate, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, hafnium dioxide, polyimides, polyvinyl, pyrrolidone, polymethylmethacrylate, polyamide, parylene, polystyrene, and fluoro-polymers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The pressure sensor of claim 3, wherein the insulating layer is made of a material selected from the group comprising silicon dioxide, silicon nitrate, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, hafnium dioxide, polyimides, polyvinyl, pyrrolidone, polymethylmethacrylate, polyamide, parylene, polystyrene, and fluoropolymers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are made of a material selected from the group comprising metals such as aluminum, titanium, nickel, gold, chromium, etc . . . , metal particles, metal oxides such as indium-tin oxide, indium-zinc oxide, etc . . . , conductive polymers such as 3, 4-polyethylene dioxythiophene-polystyrene, sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) or polyaniline, etc . . . , or doped silicon materials.