Capacitive semiconductor pressure sensor
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsFlavio Francesco Villa, Gabriele Barlocchi, Pietro Corona, Benedetto Vigna, Lorenzo Baldo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A capacitive semiconductor pressure sensor, comprising: a bulk region of semiconductor material; a buried cavity overlying a first part of the bulk region; and a membrane suspended above said buried cavity, wherein, said bulk region and said membrane are formed in a monolithic substrate, and in that said monolithic substrate carries structures for transducing the deflection of said membrane into electrical signals, wherein said bulk region and said membrane form electrodes of a capacitive sensing element, and said transducer structures comprise contact structures in electrical contact with said membrane and with said bulk region.
Claims19
A capacitive semiconductor pressure sensor, comprising:
- a bulk region of semiconductor material;
- a buried cavity overlying a first part of the bulk region;
- and
- a membrane suspended above said buried cavity, wherein, said bulk region and said membrane are formed in a monolithic substrate, and in that said monolithic substrate carries structures for transducing the deflection of said membrane into electrical signals, wherein said bulk region and said membrane form electrodes of a capacitive sensing element, and said transducer structures comprise contact structures in electrical contact with said membrane and with said bulk region, and wherein said bulk region has a first conductivity type, and said membrane has a second conductivity type,
- wherein said monolithic substrate accommodates a capacitive reference element arranged adjacent to said capacitive sensing element,
- and wherein said capacitive reference element comprises:
- an insulating region overlying a second part of the bulk region, said second part of the bulk region being adjacent to said buried cavity overlying the first part of the bulk region;
- and
- an electrode region overlying said insulating region and adjacent to said membrane.
A semiconductor pressure sensor comprising:
- a common substrate of a semiconductor material;
- a sensing capacitor including a sensor cavity within a first part of the common substrate, a deflectable membrane overlying and closing the sensor cavity, said membrane being made of the semiconductor material, and
- a reference capacitor including an insulating region within a second part of the common substrate, the insulating region being adjacent to the sensor cavity and having a plurality of cavities, and an electrode region of the semiconductor material overlying the insulating region, wherein the substrate is of first conductivity type, and the membrane and electrode region are of second conductivity type.
A semiconductor pressure sensor comprising:
- a sensing capacitor having a first electrode and a first dielectric region underlying the first electrode;
- a reference capacitor having a second electrode and a second dielectric region underlying the second electrode;
- and
- a semiconductor substrate underlying the first and second dielectric regions and forming a bottom electrode,
- wherein, the first electrode is a deflectable membrane and the first dielectric region is a cavity filled with a gas, and wherein the first and second electrodes are of a first conductivity type and the semiconductor substrate is of a second conductivity type.
A capacitive semiconductor pressure sensor, comprising:
- a bulk region of semiconductor material;
- a buried cavity overlying a first part of the bulk region;
- and
- a membrane suspended above said buried cavity, wherein, said bulk region and said membrane are formed in a monolithic substrate, and in that said monolithic substrate carries structures for transducing the deflection of said membrane into electrical signals, wherein said bulk region and said membrane form electrodes of a capacitive sensing element, and said transducer structures comprise contact structures in electrical contact with said membrane and with said bulk region,
- wherein said monolithic substrate accommodates a capacitive reference element arranged adjacent to said capacitive sensing element, and wherein said capacitive reference element comprises:
- an insulating region overlying a second part of the bulk region, said second part of the bulk region being adjacent to said buried cavity overlying the first part of the bulk region;
- and an electrode region overlying said insulating region and adjacent to said membrane.
A semiconductor pressure sensor comprising:
- a sensing capacitor having a first electrode and a first dielectric region underlying the first electrode;
- a reference capacitor having a second electrode and a second dielectric region underlying the second electrode;
- and
- a semiconductor substrate underlying the first and second dielectric regions and forming a bottom electrode,
- wherein, the first electrode is a deflectable membrane and the first dielectric region is a cavity filled with a gas, and wherein the first and second electrodes share a monocrystalline structure with the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.