Capacitance-type pressure sensor

A capacitance-type sensor including a plurality of pressure sensor units connected in parallel with one another, each of said pressure sensors comprising:

• a fixed electrode formed on a common substrate;
• a cavity region;
• and
• a diaphragm formed by an electrically conductive film which is disposed in opposition to said electrode with said cavity region intervening between said electrode and said diaphragm;
• wherein
• diaphragms of said plurality of pressure sensors are formed by a single sheet of material that is common to all of said plurality of pressure sensors;
• and
• diaphragm fixing portions are disposed within said cavity region so that said single sheet of the diaphragm is divided into a plurality of substantially separately deformable regions corresponding to said plurality of pressure sensor units, respectively;
• said fixed electrode is formed on an insulation film on said substrate, and is covered on its surface by an insulation film;
• a movable electrode is exposed opposite the fixed electrode;
• and
• the cavity region is sealed.

A capacitance-type pressure sensor, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a plurality of fixed electrodes formed on said substrate and connected to one another in parallel;
• a movable electrode in the form of a diaphragm comprising a single sheet of flexible material disposed in opposition to said electrodes, and separated therefrom by a cavity region;
• and
• diaphragm fixing elements disposed at discrete locations within said cavity region, which diaphragm fixing elements partition said single sheet of flexible material into a plurality of separate flexure regions corresponding to said plurality of fixed electrodes, which flexure regions are deformable substantially separately from each other;
• wherein
• said fixed electrode is formed on an insulation film on said substrate, and is covered on its surface by an insulation film;
• the movable electrode is exposed opposite the fixed electrode;
• and
• the cavity region is sealed.