Pressure sensor with built-in calibration capability

A method comprising:

• forming a sense cell of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensor on a substrate, said sense cell having a sense cavity;
• forming a test cell of said MEMS pressure sensor on said substrate in proximity to said sense cell, said test cell having a test cavity, each of said sense and test cavities exhibiting an initial cavity pressure, said test cavity being physically isolated from said sense cavity, and each of said sense and test cells being sensitive to ambient pressure;
• and
• forming a seal structure in communication with said test cavity, wherein said seal structure is configured to be breached to change said initial cavity pressure within said test cavity to said ambient pressure, with said sense cavity remaining at said initial cavity pressure, wherein said forming said seal structure comprises:
• forming a seal membrane overlying and spaced apart from said substrate to produce a seal structure cavity;
• and
• forming a channel interposed between said test cavity and said seal structure cavity.

A method comprising:

• obtaining a first sense signal between a sense electrode and a test diaphragm of a test cell of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensor in response to an ambient pressure, wherein said test cell includes a test cavity in which said sense electrode is located, said test cavity exhibiting an initial cavity pressure;
• changing said initial cavity pressure within said test cavity to said ambient pressure, wherein said changing operation leaves said test diaphragm intact;
• and
• obtaining a second sense signal between said sense electrode and said test diaphragm following said changing operation.

A method comprising:

• obtaining a first sense signal between a sense electrode and a test diaphragm of a test cell of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensor in response to an ambient pressure, wherein said test cell includes a test cavity in which said sense electrode is located, said test cavity exhibiting an initial cavity pressure;
• changing said initial cavity pressure within said test cavity to said ambient pressure;
• obtaining a second sense signal between said sense electrode and said test diaphragm following said changing operation;
• computing a test cell sensitivity of said test cell using said first and second sense signals;
• and
• estimating a sensitivity of a sense cell of said MEMS pressure sensor using said test cell sensitivity, wherein said ambient pressure is atmospheric pressure, and said estimating operation is performed without application of a pressure stimulus that is greater than said atmospheric pressure.