Honeywell International Inc.

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Other

Richard Alan Davis

Carl Stewart

Gilberto Morales

Richard A Wade

Scott Edward Beck

Alistair David Bradley

Lamar Floyd Ricks

Yousef M Alimi

Mark Robert Plagens

Brian Speldrich

Jim Machir

Josh M Fribley

Richard A Kirkpatrick, Ii

Ron Foster

Steve R Foote

James Kenneth Guenter

Aravind Padmanabhan

Cornel P Cobianu

David F Smith

Bogdan Catalin Serban

Octavian Buiu

Mihai Brezeanu

Jason Chilcote

Michael James Haji-Sheikh

Cazimir Gabriel Bostan

Walter T Matzen

Yong-Fa Wang

Stefan Dan Costea

Alisa Stratulat

Uppili Sridhar

James F Machir

Larry A Rehn

Bradley David Alistair

Youssef M Alimi

A method for sensing force using a sense die is disclosed. The method may include providing a sense die comprising a chip having a slab formed thereon; applying a force to the slab of the sense die; and determining the magnitude of the force applied to the slab via one or more sense elements attached to the slab. In some examples, the ratio of the width of the slab to the distance between the sense elements is greater than 2/1.

Silicon piezoresistor force sensor

Methods and systems for sensing a force using a sense die are provided. The sense die may include a slab die; an actuation element configured to contact the slab die and apply a force to the slab die; and one or more sense elements supported by the slab die.

High sensitivity silicon piezoresistor force sensor

A force sensor includes a leadframe comprising a plurality of electrically conductive leads, a sense die coupled to the leadframe, and an encapsulant disposed over at least a portion of the leadframe and the sense die. The sense die is electrically coupled to the plurality of leads, and the plurality of leads extends from the encapsulant.

Low cost overmolded leadframe force sensor with multiple mounting positions

An illustrative humidity sensor may include a substrate having a source and a drain, wherein the drain is laterally spaced from the source. A gate stack is provided in the space between the source and the drain to form a transistor. The gate stack may include a gate insulator situated on the substrate to form a gate insulator/substrate interface. The gate stack may further include a barrier layer above the gate insulator. The barrier layer may be configured to act as a barrier to mobile charge, humidity and/or other contaminates, and may help prevent such contaminates from reaching the gate insulator/substrate interface. The gate stack may further include a humidity sensing layer above the barrier layer. The humidity sensing layer, when exposed to humidity, may modulate the conduction channel in the substrate under the gate insulator and between the source and the drain. In some cases, the humidity level may be determined by monitoring the current flowing between the source and drain.

FET based humidity sensor with barrier layer protecting gate dielectric

A sense die comprises a chip comprising a sense diaphragm, one or more sense elements supported by the diaphragm, one or more bond pads supported by a first side of the chip, a structural frame disposed on the first side of the chip, and one or more electrical contacts extending through the structural frame. Each of the one or more bond pads is electrically coupled to at least one of the one or more sense elements. The structural frame is disposed at least partially about the diaphragm, and the one or more electrical contacts are electrically coupled to the one or more bond pads.

Overforce control through sense die design

A method includes forming a mask that defines a masked area and an unmasked area on a front side of a substrate, and implanting a buried layer corresponding to the unmasked area on the front side of the substrate. The method also includes forming an epitaxial layer having a back side on the front side of the substrate and on a front side of the buried layer, and creating an opening into a back side of the substrate up to a back side of the epitaxial layer and a back side of the one or portions of the buried layer.

Pressure sensor having a bossed diaphragm

A force sensor may comprise a sensing die comprising a cap and a support. Generally, a first surface of the support may comprise a buried cavity and one or more channels. The one or more channels may extend from the buried cavity towards the outer edges of the support and may ensure the force sensor is not sensitive to ambient or atmospheric pressure variation. The cap may be bonded to the first surface of the support, thereby forming a sensing diaphragm located above the buried cavity. Additionally, the force sensor may comprise an actuation element to sense a change in force from an external media. The actuation element may transmit the force to the sensing diaphragm causing it to deflect into the buried cavity. The one or more sense elements on the sensing diaphragm may provide an indication of the change in force based on the amount of deflection.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) force die with buried cavity vented to the edges

A humidity sensor may include a first substrate having a recess formed in a first side, a second substrate and an insulating layer supported by the second substrate. The second substrate and the insulating layer may be supported by the first side of the first substrate and extend over the recess to form a diaphragm with the insulating layer facing the recess. The diaphragm may be at least partially thermally isolated from a remainder of the second substrate. A resistive heater element may be supported by the diaphragm. A pair of sensing electrodes are electrically separated from each other and supported by the diaphragm. A sensing material is disposed over the pair of sensing electrodes, wherein an electrical property of the sensing material changes in response to a change in moisture content of the sensing material.

Humidity sensor

A pressure sensor includes a pressure sensing element and a top cap. The pressure sensing element includes a bonded wafer substrate having a buried sealed cavity. A wall of the buried sealed cavity forms a sensing diaphragm. One or more sense elements may be supported by the sensing diaphragm and one or more bond pads are supported by the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate. Each of the bond pads may be positioned adjacent to the sensing diaphragm and electrically connected to one or more of the sense elements. The top cap may be secured to the upper side of the bonded wafer substrate such that an aperture in the top cap facilitates passage of a media in a downward direction to the sensing diaphragm. The top cap may be configured to isolate the bond pads from the media.

Media isolated pressure sensor

A pressure sensor having a diaphragm having a boss with a pattern. The diaphragm having a boss may be regarded as a bossed diaphragm. The bossed diaphragm may have higher sensitivity than a flat plate diaphragm having the same area as the bossed diaphragm. The bossed diaphragm may incorporate a simple cross pattern that can further improve the sensitivity and linearity of a pressure response of the diaphragm at low pressures. Reduction of sharp edges and corners of the boss and its legs around the periphery of the diaphragm may reduce high stress points and thus increase the burst pressure rating of the bossed diaphragm.

A sensor assembly includes a first wafer having a cavity formed therein and a second wafer bonded relative to the first wafer to form a diaphragm over the cavity. A trench is formed in the second wafer in or around the diaphragm and the trench may be filled with an isolating material to help thermally and/or electrically isolate the diaphragm. The diaphragm may support one or more sense elements. The sensor assembly may be used a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and/or any other suitable sensor, as desired.

Sensor with isolated diaphragm

Apparatus and associated methods may relate to Magneto-Resistive Sensing Devices (MRSDs). In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, an MRSD comprises an underlying semiconductor device and a magneto-resistive sensor. In some exemplary embodiments, the semiconductor device is processed through most of a standard process flow. After the standard process flow, in various embodiments, a planarization step may be performed to create a more planar top surface. In some embodiments, the magneto-resistive material, which may be made from a Nickel-Iron alloy, called Permalloy, is deposited on the planar surface. A layer of interconnect metallization also may reside in this top region. The magneto-resistive material may contact the topmost layer of metallization of the semiconductor device via contact openings in the planarized surface. In some embodiments, the magneto-resistive material may similarly contact the topmost layer of metallization through these contact openings. The magneto-resistive material resides directly above the underlying circuitry.

Magnetic-field sensing device

Methods and devices for adhesively bonding a sensor die to a substrate are described. In some cases, a sensor assembly may include a pressure sensor die mounted to a substrate with an adhesive. The pressure sensor die may be fabricated to include a back-side having one or more adhesion features (e.g. recesses or indentations), which increase the surface area of the pressure sensor die that is in contact with the adhesive, to thereby increase the adhesion force therebetween. In some cases, the one or more adhesion features may define a non-planar interface between the pressure sensor die and the adhesive which, in some instances, may reduce the formation and/or propagation of cracks in the adhesive, which also may help increase the adhesion force therebetween.

Increased sensor die adhesion

A differential pressure sensor includes two pressure ports for allowing media to pass into contact with both the top and bottom sides of the diaphragm. A silicon pressure sensor die can be attached between the pressure ports using die attach materials for sensing a differential pressure between the media to evaluate media differential pressure. A cap with an opening can be placed on topside of a diaphragm formed in the silicon pressure die. The silicon pressure die can include die bond pads that can be electrically connected to the diaphragm to output electrical signals. The cap can seal the die bond pads from the harsh media and route the electrical signals therein. Media can pass through the opening in the cap such that a media path to the top of the diaphragm is not exposed to the die bond pads of the silicon pressure die to ensure long-term sensor reliability.

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Richard Alan Davis