Method of fabricating a pressure sensor

A method of mass producing a plurality pressure capsules comprising:

• 8.1 providing a pair of flexible quartz plates for each capsule having electrodes thereon, wherein the electrodes for the elements of a pressure sensitive capacitor;
• 8.2 applying a dielectric sealing glass material having a predetermined viscosity to at least one of said quartz plates of each capsule in the shape of a peripheral seal;
• 8.3 positioning said quartz plates of each capsule with said dielectric therebetween in a substantial parallel orientation at an initial spacing determined by the height of said dielectric;
• 8.4 placing the capsule in the first temperature zone having a first temperature level which is substantially ambient;
• 8.5 increasing the capsule temperature by moving the capsule to a temperature zone having a higher temperature level to permit the dielectric to reduce the dielectric to a molten glaseous state;
• 8. 6 decreasing the furnace pressure from atmospheric pressure to a lower first pressure level thereby similarly reducing the pressure within each capsule to the first pressure level;
• 8.7 permitting entrapped gases within the dielectric to outgas;
• 8.8 clamping the plates by increasing the furnace pressure to a second level to reduce the thickness of the dielectric after the dielectric has attained said molten state;
• 8.9 decreasing said furnace pressure to a third pressure level intermediate said first and said second pressure levels;
• 8.10 cooling the capsule by moving the capsule to said first temperature zone;
• 8.11 increasing the furnace pressure to atmospheric pressure.

A method of fabricating a pressure capsule comprising:

• providing two flexible quartz plates having electrodes thereon, wherein the electrodes form the elements of a pressure sensitive capacitor;
• applying a dielectric sealing glass material having a predetermined viscosity to at least one of said quartz plates in the shape of a perimetal seal;
• positioning said quartz plates with said dielectric therebetween in a substantial parallel orientation, at an initial spacing determined by the initial height of said dielectric;
• decreasing the pressure within the volume between said plates and said dielectric to a first pressure level that is sufficiently low to encourage outgassing of air entrapped within said dielectric and the electrode material;
• heating said plates to reduce said dielectric to a molten state;
• achieving the final spacing between said plates by clamping said plates together to compress the thickness of said dielectric by momentarily increasing the pressure proximate said plates to substantially atmospheric pressure after said dielectric has achieved a molten state.