Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Safecertifiedstructure Tecnologia S.p.a.

Safecertifiedstructure Tecnologia S.r.l.

Daniele Caltabiano

Mohammad Abbasi Gavarti

Giuditta Roselli

Anna Angela Pomarico

Bruno Murari

Domenico Giusti

Francesco Braghin

Alberto Pagani

Marco Ferrera

Agatino Minotti

Roberto Brioschi

Andrea Picco

Elio Guidetti

Marco Omar Ghidoni

Gabriele Bertagnoli

Alessandro Mariani

Giuseppe Mancini

Anna Pomarico

A device includes: a micromechanical sensing structure configured to provide an electrical detection quantity as a function of a load; and a package enclosing the micromechanical sensing structure and providing a mechanical and electrical interface with respect to an external environment. The package includes a housing structure defining a cavity housing the micromechanical sensing structure; and a package coating that coats, at least in part, the housing structure, the package coating including a mechanical interface configured to transfer, in a uniform manner, the load on the housing structure and on the micromechanical sensing structure, wherein the housing structure includes a deformable layer interposed and in contact between the micromechanical sensing structure and the package coating, and wherein the deformable layer defines a mechanical-coupling interface.

High-range semiconductor load sensor device

Displacement transducer device, adapted to be coupled to reference points of a structure, includes a first element integrally securable to a first reference point of the structure, first and second magnets arranged so as to magnetically repel one another, a transducer arranged proximate the first and second magnets so as to detect a variation in the magnetic field between the first and second magnet and to convert the variation into a signal processed by a processing unit, the displacement transducer device includes a second element integrally securable to a second reference point of the structure, and one of the first or second magnet or transducer being connected to the first element and the remaining elements of the first or second magnet or transducer being connected to the second element such that a relative movement of the first or the second reference point causes a variation in the magnetic field.

Displacement transducer device

A microelectromechanical transducer includes a semiconductor body having first and second surfaces opposite to one another. A plurality of trenches extend in the semiconductor body from the first surface towards the second surface, including a first pair of trenches having a respective main direction of extension along a first axis, and a second pair of trenches having a respective main direction of extension along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. A first piezoresistive sensor and a second piezoresistive sensor extend at the first surface of the semiconductor body respectively arranged between the first and second pair of trenches. The first piezoresistive sensor, the second piezoresistive sensor and the plurality of trenches form an active region. A first structural body is mechanically coupled to the first surface of the semiconductor body to form a first sealed cavity which encloses the active region.

Multi-axial force sensor including piezoresistive groups, method of manufacturing the multi-axial force sensor, and method for operating the multi-axial force sensor

A semiconductor device includes a strain gauge on a substrate, the strain gauge configured to measure a stress of the substrate; and a temperature sensor disposed within the substrate, the temperature sensor being decoupled from the stress of the substrate.

Strain gauge with mechanically decoupled temperature sensor

A microelectromechanical force/pressure sensor has: a sensor die, of semiconductor material, having a front surface and a bottom surface, extending in a horizontal plane, and made of a compact bulk region having a thickness along a vertical direction, transverse to the horizontal plane; piezoresistive elements, integrated in the bulk region of the sensor die, at the front surface thereof; and a cap die, coupled above the sensor die, covering the piezoresistive elements, having a respective front surface and bottom surface, opposite to each other along the vertical direction, the bottom surface facing the front surface of the sensor die. A conversion layer is arranged between the front surface of the sensor die and the bottom surface of the cap die, patterned to define a groove traversing its entire thickness along the vertical direction; the piezoresistive elements are arranged vertically in correspondence to the groove and the conversion layer is designed to convert a load applied to the front surface of the cap die and/or bottom surface of the sensor die along the vertical direction into a planar stress distribution at the groove, acting in the horizontal plane.

Microelectromechanical scalable bulk-type piezoresistive force/pressure sensor

A microelectronic device includes a chip housing a functional part and carrying first electrical contact regions in electrical connection with the functional part through first protected connections extending over or in the chip. A substrate has a first contact area and a second contact area, which is remote from the first contact area. The first contact area carries second electrical contact regions, and the second contact area carries external connection regions. The second contact regions and the external connection regions are in mutual electrical connection through second protected connections extending over or in the substrate. A protection-ring structure surrounds the first and second electrical contact regions and delimits a first chamber closed with respect to the outside. The first electrical contact regions and the second electrical contact regions are in mutual electrical contact.

Microelectronic device having protected connections and manufacturing process thereof

A stress sensor formed by a membrane plate; a first bonding region arranged on top of the membrane plate; a cover plate arranged on top of the first bonding region, the first bonding region bonding the membrane plate to the cover plate; three-dimensional piezoresistive elements extending across the membrane plate that are embedded in the bonding layer; and planar piezoresistive elements that extend across the membrane plate and are surrounded by and separated from the bonding layer.

Stress sensor for monitoring the health state of fabricated structures such as constructions, buildings, infrastructures and the like

In an embodiment of the present invention, a load sensor package includes a housing having a cap, a column, a peripheral structure, and a base. The base includes a major surface configured to mount a stress sensor, while the cap includes a cap major surface configured to receive a load to be measured. The column is configured to transfer a predetermined fraction of the load to be measured to the base through the stress sensor. The peripheral structure is configured to transfer the remaining fraction of the load to be measured to the base.

Load sensing devices, packages, and systems

A microelectromechanical transducer includes: a semiconductor body, having a first surface and a second surface opposite to one another; a first structural body, coupled to the first surface of the semiconductor body; a first sealed cavity between the semiconductor body and the first structural body; and an active area housed in the first sealed cavity, including at least two trenches and a sensor element between the trenches. The trenches extend along a vertical direction from the first surface towards the second surface of the semiconductor body.

Trench-based microelectromechanical transducer and method for manufacturing the microelectromechanical transducer

A pressure sensor with double measuring scale includes: a flexible body designed to undergo deflection as a function of a the pressure; piezoresistive transducers for detecting the deflection; a first focusing region designed to concentrate, during a first operating condition, a first value of the pressure in a first portion of the flexible body so as to generate a deflection of the first portion of the flexible body; and a second focusing region designed to concentrate, during a second operating condition, a second value of said pressure in a second portion of the flexible body so as to generate a deflection of the second portion of the flexible body. The piezoresistive transducers correlate the deflection of the first portion of the flexible body to the first pressure value and the deflection of the second portion of the flexible body to the second pressure value.

Integrated pressure sensor with double measuring scale, pressure measuring device including the integrated pressure sensor, braking system, and method of measuring a pressure using the integrated pressure sensor

A load-sensing device is arranged in a package forming a chamber. The package has a deformable substrate configured, in use, to be deformed by an external force. A sensor unit is positioned in direct contact with the deformable substrate and is configured to detect deformations of the deformable substrate. An elastic element within of the chamber is arranged to act between the package and the sensor unit to generate, on the sensor unit, a force keeping the sensor unit in contact with the deformable substrate. The deformable substrate may be a base of the package, and the elastic element may be a metal lamina arranged between the lid of the package and the sensor unit. The sensor unit may be a semiconductor die integrating piezoresistors.

Growing community of inventors

Agrate Brianza, Italy

Daniele Caltabiano