Pressure sensor and manufacturing method therefor

Details Pressure sensor and manufacturing method therefor Pressure sensor and manufacturing method therefor

2011-04-26

2011-04-26

Caputo, Lisa M (Department: 2855)

Semiconductor device manufacturing: process

Making device or circuit responsive to nonelectrical signal

Physical stress responsive

C073S754000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07932117

ABSTRACT:
A pressure sensor (e.g., a condenser microphone) includes a plate having a fixed electrode, a diaphragm having a moving electrode positioned opposite to the fixed electrode, and a support, wherein the diaphragm is subjected to displacement due to pressure variations applied thereto, and the support has a first interior wall forming a first cavity, in which the end portions of the plate are fixed, and a second interior wall, in which a step portion is formed in the thickness direction of the diaphragm in relation to the first interior wall and which forms a second cavity whose cross-sectional area is larger than the cross-sectional area of the first cavity in the plane direction of the diaphragm. The first and second cavities can be redesigned to communicate with each other via a passage, whereby it is possible to improve both of low-frequency characteristics and high-frequency characteristics in the pressure sensor.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5146435 (1992-09-01), Bernstein
patent: 5408731 (1995-04-01), Berggvist et al.
patent: 5589083 (1996-12-01), Ahn et al.
patent: 6012335 (2000-01-01), Bashir et al.
patent: 6058781 (2000-05-01), Kusuyama et al.
patent: 6140689 (2000-10-01), Scheiter et al.
patent: 2002/0067663 (2002-06-01), Loeppert et al.
patent: 2006/0090568 (2006-05-01), Silverbrook et al.
patent: 2006/0169049 (2006-08-01), Matsubara
patent: 2007/0058825 (2007-03-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 2007/0261910 (2007-11-01), Kasai et al.
patent: 2008/0121042 (2008-05-01), Miller et al.
patent: 1261234 (2002-11-01), None
patent: 1441561 (2004-07-01), None
patent: 1635608 (2006-03-01), None
patent: 1648195 (2006-04-01), None
patent: 1722596 (2006-11-01), None
patent: 51-60577 (1976-05-01), None
patent: 61-172378 (1986-08-01), None
patent: 07-128363 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 07-167725 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 08-083940 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 08148696 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 09-233798 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 9-508777 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 2002-520862 (2002-07-01), None
patent: 2004-356707 (2004-12-01), None
patent: 2004-537182 (2004-12-01), None
patent: 2006-121616 (2006-05-01), None
patent: 2006-157863 (2006-06-01), None
patent: 2006-237939 (2006-09-01), None
patent: 2007-178221 (2007-07-01), None
patent: WO 02/45463 (2002-06-01), None
patent: WO 2006/046926 (2006-05-01), None
patent: WO 2007/029878 (2007-03-01), None
Transmission letter indicating receipt of European Search Report and cited documents, date-stamped Jan. 28, 2008 (3 pages).
European Search Report for Application No. EP07013390.5-2225, dated Jan. 16, 2008 (18 pages).
Y.B. Ning, A.W. Mitchell, R.N. Tait: Fabrication of a Silicon Micromachined Capacitive Microphone Using a Dry-Etch Process (Alberta, Canada; 1996) (3 pages).
W. Kronast, B. Muller, W. Siedel, A. Stoffel: Single-Chip Condenser Microphone Using Porous Silicon as Sacrificial Layer for the Air Gap (Furtwangen, Germany; 2001) (3 pages).
E. Cianci, V. Foglietti, G. Caliano, M. Pappalardo: Micromachined Capacitive Ultrasonic Transducers Fabricated Using Silicon on Insulator Wafers (Rome, Italy; 2002) (3 pages).
Japanese Patent Office, “Office Action”: Notice of Rejection for Application No. 2006-189021 (Issued: Jun. 25, 2008).
Partial European Search Report for application No. EP07013390, dated Oct. 5, 2007 (7 pages).
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, “Office Action” in connection with U.S. Appl. No. 12/286,870, issued Jul. 15, 2009.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Pressure sensor and manufacturing method therefor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Pressure sensor and manufacturing method therefor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pressure sensor and manufacturing method therefor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2623102