Capacitive pressure sensor with a cantilever member
AssigneeNational University of Singapore
InventorsWoei Wan Tan, Pei Ge, Eng Hock Francis Tay, Jyh Siong Phang
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Abstract
A capacitive pressure sensing device comprising, a base member, a diaphragm member deflectable under an external pressure, a cantilever member disposed between the base member and the diaphragm member and supported on a support structure, wherein the base member and the cantilever member form a capacitor structure of the device and wherein deflection of the diaphragm member beyond a threshold value causes the cantilever member to deflect to cause a capacitive change in the capacitor structure.
Claims18
A capacitive pressure sensing device comprising:
- a base member;
- a diaphragm member deflectable under an external pressure;
- a cantilever member disposed between the base member and the diaphragm member and supported on a support structure;
- and
- a contact member moveable relative to the cantilever member under deflection of the diaphragm member and separated by a gap from the cantilever member in a state when no pressure is applied to the diaphragm member,
- wherein the base member and the cantilever member form acapacitor structure of the device, and
- wherein deflection of the diaphragm member beyond a threshold value causes the contact member to contact the cantilever member causing the cantilever member to deflect to cause a capacitive change in the capacitor structure.
A method of pressure sensing comprising:
- providing a contact member moveable relative to the cantilever member under deflection of a diaphragm member and separated by a gap from the cantilever member in a state when no pressure is applied to a diaphragm member;
- and
- deflecting the diaphragm member under an external pressure beyond a threshold value to cause the contact member to contact the cantilever member causing the cantilever member to deflect under the influence of the diaphragm member,
- wherein deflection of the cantilever member causes a capacitive change in a capacitive structure including the cantilever member.
A method of fabricating a pressure sensing device comprising:
- forming a base member;
- forming a diaphragm member deflectable under an external pressure;
- forming a cantilever member disposed between the base member and the diaphragm member and supported on a support structure;
- forming a contact member moveable relative to the cantilever member under deflection of the diaphragm member and separated by a gap from a cantilever member in a state when no pressure is applied to the diaphragm member;
- wherein the base member and the cantilever member form a capacitor structure of the device;
- and
- wherein deflection of the diaphragm member beyond a threshold value causes the contact member to contact the cantilever member causing the cantilever member to deflect to cause a capacitive change in the capacitor structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.