Pressure sensor apparatus with integrated circuit mounted thereon
AssigneeDelco Electronics Corporation
InventorsAndres D. Viduya, Lewis H. Little
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure sensor comprises a diaphragm mounted on a housing and subject to pressure. Stress sensitive resistors are connected to circuit traces on the diaphragm which in turn are wirebonded to a compensation IC. The IC is directly mounted on the diaphragm principally or wholly in an area which is not subject to flexing. A connector has a dome partially covering the diaphragm and holds terminal blades having ends extending away from the diaphragm and opposite ends carrying bond pads located adjacent the diaphragm. An opening in the dome permits wirebonder access to connect bond pads on the traces with terminal bond pads. A cover is installed over the connector and sensor.
Claims13
A pressure sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a diaphragm element subject to pressure to be sensed and supported on a base, the diaphragm being stressed by fluctuations in the pressure;
- sensor means including a plurality of sensor elements formed on a surface of the diaphragm;
- an IC directly mounted on and attached to the surface of the diaphragm and having a plurality of bond sites on a surface which faces away from the diaphragm;
- conductor traces formed on the surface of the diaphragm defining conductive bond sites and at least one bond pad on the diaphragm, at least some of the traces being electrically connected to the sensor elements;
- wirebond electrical connections between the bond sites on the IC and the bond sites on the diaphragm;
- a connector assembly mounted on the base including at least one terminal bond pad in proximity to said at least one bond pad on the diaphragm;
- and
- a wirebond electrical connection between the bond pad on the diaphragm and the terminal bond pad.
A pressure sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a diaphragm element subject to pressure to be sensed and supported on a base, the diaphragm having a first region which is stressed by fluctuations in the pressure, and a second region which is substantially insensitive to such fluctuations;
- sensor means including a plurality of sensor elements formed on a surface of the diaphragm within the first region;
- an IC directly mounted on and attached to the surface of the diaphragm substantially within the second region and having a plurality of bond sites on a surface which faces away from the diaphragm;
- conductor traces formed on the surface of the diaphragm defining conductive bond sites and at least one bond pad on the diaphragm, at least some of the traces being electrically connected to the sensor elements;
- wirebond electrical connections between the bond sites on the IC and the bond sites on the diaphragm;
- a connector assembly mounted on the base including at least one terminal bond pad in proximity to said at least one bond pad on the diaphragm;
- and
- a wirebond electrical connection between the bond pad on the diaphragm and the terminal bond pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.