Piezoresistive sensor bridge having overlapping diffused regions to accommodate mask misalignment and method

A sensor consisting essentially of four substantially identical piezoresistive diffusion resistors electrically coupled into a bridge configuration having four inside corners essentially only by four diffusion terminals and wherein each of said four diffusion terminals overlaps one of said four inside corners.

A piezoresistive sensor comprising:

• four diffused regions coupled into a bridge configuration having four inside corners, wherein each of said diffused regions has a first end connected to one of said four inside corners and has a second end connected to a different one of said four inside corners;
• and
• four contact diffusion terminals disposed in contact with said bridge configuration wherein each of said diffusion terminals is disposed to overlap one of said four inside corners such that said diffused regions are electrically connected essentially only by said contact diffusion terminals.

A method of forming a piezoresistive sensor comprising the steps of:

• forming a continuous annular resistive diffusion region in a semiconductor substrate;
• and
• forming four contact regions in said semiconductor substrate and disposed symmetrically about a circumference of said resistive diffusion region wherein said resistive diffusion region is partitioned into four substantially identically-shaped resistive legs wherein said resistive diffusion region has four inside corners and each of said contact regions overlaps one of said inside corners.

A piezoresistive pressure sensor comprising:

• four diffusion resistor regions formed in a semiconductor substrate and disposed in a bridge configuration having four inside corners and having four junctions wherein a pair of said resistor regions are connected at each of said junctions and each of said resistor regions has a first dopant concentration;
• and
• four terminal contact diffusion regions wherein each of said contact diffusion regions is disposed at one of said four junctions, each of said contact diffusion regions has a second dopant concentration substantially greater than said first dopant concentration, and said resistor regions are electrically connected essentially only by said contact diffusion regions and wherein each of said contact diffusion regions overlaps one of said four inside corners.