Flexible silicon strain gage
AssigneeRosemount Aerospace Inc.
InventorsBradley J. Boggs, Marcus S. Just, Kevin C. Stark, Christopher A. Bang
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Abstract
A generally flexible strain gage comprising a strain sensing element, and a generally flexible substrate supporting the strain sensing element. The strain sensing element is made of single crystal or polycrystalline semiconducting material. The invention also includes a method for forming a generally flexible strain gage comprising the step of selecting a wafer having a portion of a base material and portion of a single crystal or polycrystalline semiconducting material located thereon. The method further comprises the steps of etching a strain sensing element out of the semiconducting material and forming a generally flexible substrate onto said sensing element.
Claims31
A method for forming a strain sensor on a flexible substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a wafer having a portion of base material and a portion of sensor material that has at least one property that varies with an applied strain;
- forming said strain sensor out of said sensor material;
- forming said flexible substrate over said strain sensor;
- and
- removing at least part of said base material to expose at least part of said sensor.
A method for forming a flexible strain gage comprising the steps of:
- selecting a wafer having a portion of a base material and portion of a single crystal semiconducting material or polycrystalline semiconducting material located thereon;
- etching a strain sensing element out of said semiconducting material;
- and
- forming a flexible substrate onto said sensing element;
- etching away said base material after said forming step.
A method for forming a strain sensor array comprising the steps of:
- providing a wafer having a portion of base material and a portion of sensor material that has at least one property that varies with an applied strain;
- forming a plurality of strain sensors out of said sensor material;
- forming a flexible substrate over said plurality of strain sensors;
- and
- removing at least part of said base material to expose at least part of each sensor.
A method for forming a strain sensor on a flexible substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a wafer having a portion of base material and a portion of sensor material;
- forming said strain sensor by etching said sensor material;
- directly depositing said substrate over said sensor in a liquid form;
- allowing said substrate to cure such that said substrate is in a solid but flexible form;
- and
- removing at least part of said base material to expose said sensor.
A method for manufacturing a flexible strain gage comprising the steps of:
- providing a wafer having a portion of base material and a portion of sensor material that has at least one property that varies with an applied strain;
- etching said sensor material to form a strain gage;
- depositing at least one lead on said wafer, said at least one lead being electrically coupled to said strain gage;
- depositing a flexible substrate over said substrate and said at least one lead;
- and
- removing at least part of the base material located over said sensor and located over said at least one lead to expose said at least one lead.
A method for forming a strain sensor on a flexible substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a wafer having a portion of base material and a portion of semiconducting material;
- forming said strain sensor out of said portion of semiconducting material;
- forming said flexible substrate over said sensor;
- and
- removing at least part of said base material to expose at least part of said sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.