Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Instrument Engineering Co., Ltd.

Hitachi Const. Mach. Company

Shigeyuki Kobori

Kazuji Yamada

Satoshi Shimada

Kanji Kawakami

Seikou Suzuki

Hideo Sato

Motohisa Nishihara

Minoru Takahashi

Ryoichi Kobayashi

Ryosaku Kanzawa

Masahiro Matsumoto

Yutaka Kobayashi

Yukio Ito

Masayuki Miki

Atsushi Miyazaki

Seiko Suzuki

Shigeki Tsuchitani

Yasushi Shimizu

Hiroaki Hachino

Masanori Tanabe

Hitoshi Minorikawa

Ken Murayama

An accelerometer having a movable electrode which is moved according to acceleration with respect to a fixed electrode disposed in opposition to the movable electrode. An output device generates an output voltage which is proportional to the acceleration by measuring a gap between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode. A pulse width modulator generates pulses, wherein a pulse width of the pulses is modulated according to the output voltage, and a feedback device feeds back an electrostatic force which is proportional to the pulse width of the pulses from the pulse modulator between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode. As the acceleration in the acceleration sensor is linearly detected, the acceleration sensor is easily adjusted.

Accelerometer with pulse width modulation

A method for manufacturing semiconductor absolute pressure sensor units includes anodically bonding a silicon sensor wafer (10) and a silicon cap wafer (12) with a borosilicate glass layer (32) disposed therebetween so as to surround respective sensor chips on the silicon sensor wafer (10) by introducing a matrix shaped conductive layer (28) in contact with and in alignment with the borosilicate glass layer (32), the matrix shaped conductive layer (28) is used as a negative electrode during anodic bonding operation so that a high bonding strength is obtained and sodium ions contained in the borosilicate glass layer (32) are kept away from bond regions after completing the anodically bonding operation.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor absolute pressure sensor units

A two-wire communication system comprising a transmitting unit having constant current characteristics for controlling an output current thereof on the basis of a signal supplied from a sensor, a receiving unit for receiving a control signal to control the sensor, a load resistor and power supply connected in series with the transmitting unit via a two-wire transmission path, and a communication unit so connected in parallel to the load resistor as to convey the output current of the transmitting unit to the process side and control a current from the power supply transmitted onto the transmission path on the basis of information supplied from the process side. With this configuration, a communication system is provided which makes possible replacing process variable transmitters in a conventional analog control system or installing process variable transmitters in a new analog control system, which makes possible remotely setting and adjusting the transmitter function by the communication unit in the above described system, which makes it possible for the control computer to control as far as terminals, and which facilitates digitization of the system.

Two-wire communication system

A method of making a silicon diaphragm pressure sensor includes forming an oxide film on one surface of a monocrystalline silicon substrate. A polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on the oxide film. The oxide film may be partly removed before the formation of the polycrystalline silicon layer. The polycrystalline silicon layer is heated and melt to recrystallize the same, thereby converting the polycrystalline silicon layer into a monocrystalline silicon layer. On the monocrystalline silicon layer may be epitaxially grown an additional monocrystalline silicon layer. By using the oxide film as an etching stopper, a predetermined portion of the substrate is etched over a range from the other surface of the substrate to the oxide film, thereby providing a diaphragm of the pressure sensor.

Method of making silicon diaphragm pressure sensor

In an integrated pressure sensor, a silicon chip for pressure detection and a substrate for supporting the silicon chip are made of the same material, the silicon chip has a thin diaphragm portion and a peripheral fixed portion thicker than the diaphragm portion, and the silicon chip is bonded to the substrate through a thin insulating film.

Integrated pressure sensor

A semiconductor pressure transducer including a measuring diaphragm of semiconductor material for sensing pressure supported by a support member of the same material. An oxide layer and a thin glass layer are interposed between the measuring diaphragm and the support member.

Semiconductor pressure transducer

Provided is a pressure sensor of semiconductor type, having a semiconductor diaphragm, wherein the diaphragm comprises at least one of thin wall parts and at least one of thick wall parts, and defines therein recesses formed in the lower surface of the diaphragm below the thin wall parts, piezoresistance elements are laid on the upper surface of the diaphragm near the thin wall parts, and a supporting member is sealingly jointed to the thick wall parts at the lower surface of the diaphragm, so that the recesses are sealed and confined so as to prevent high pressure fluid from blowing off when the thin wall part is broken.

Pressure sensor with improved semiconductor diaphragm

A semiconductor pressure sensor having plural pressure sensitive diaphragms and capable of producing electric signals of at least two pressures. A semiconductor pressure sensor has a semiconductor single crystal chip (1) on which two diaphragms (12a, 12b) are shaped, pairs of strain gauges (13a and 14a, and 13b and 14b), each of which pairs are constructed on each pressure sensitive diaphragm, electrodes (15a and 16a, and 15b and 16b) which are provided for electrical connections of these strain gauges on the semiconductor single crystal, and an insulating substrate of borosilicate glass, the thermal expansion coefficient is substantially equal tol that of said semiconductor single-crystal chip, wherein the semiconductor single-crystal chip (1) and the glass substrate (2) are bonded to each other by an Anodic Bonding method, thereby being able to obtain a semiconductor pressure sensor which scarcely producing errors outputs.

Semiconductor pressure sensor having plural pressure sensitive

A semiconductor pressure transducer assembly comprising a silicon diaphragm assembly and a glass covering member. The silicon diaphragm assembly has a circular diaphragm portion of thin silicon which is formed using etching, and a thick supporting portion therearound. Piezoresistive elements of a piezoresistive bridge circuit and conducting paths for electrically connection thereof are formed on the silicon diaphragm assembly. On a surface of the silicon diaphragm assembly, a passivating layer of silicon dioxide are formed in uniform thickness, and further on a surface of the passivating layer is formed a layer of polysilicon on the supporting portion of the silicon diaphragm assembly. In the passivating layer, a contacting window is formed, through which the polysilicon layer is electrically connected to the silicon diaphragm assembly. The covering member of borosilicate glass having a circular well is mounted and bonded onto the silicon diaphragm assembly in contact with the polysilicon layer using Anodic Bonding method. And the processed silicon diaphragm assembly has a flat surface thereof, on which the piezoresistive elements and the conducting paths are constructed using Ion Implantation method, or reforming a silicon dioxide layer thereon after removing another silicon dioxide layer used as mask in diffusing process.

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Hitachi, Japan

Shigeyuki Kobori