Yamatake Corporation

Azbil Corporation

Yamatake-honeywell Co., Ltd.

Yoshiyuki Ishikura

Shigeo Kimura

Takashi Masuda

Takashi Kihara

Tomohisa Tokuda

Yuki Seto

Rina Ogasawara

Tatsuo Tanaka

Ikuo Nishimoto

Takeshi Fukiura

Hideyuki Tanaka

Toru Yamaguchi

Seiichiro Kinugasa

Hirofumi Tojo

Masayuki Yoneda

Masaru Soeda

Shinichi Ike

Shoji Kamiunten

Nozomi Kida

Takaaki Kuroiwa

Yasuhide Yoshikawa

Toshiyuki Kataoka

Ayumi Tsushima

Ayumi Tushima

Yasuhiro Goshoo

A sensor chip () is joined to an inner wall surface () of a base body (-), with a lower surface () of a first retaining member (-) serving as a joint surface, in such a manner as to allow an enclosing chamber () (including a pressure receiving chamber (-) and a pressure guiding passage (-)) between a pressure receiving diaphragm () and the joint surface () of the sensor chip () to communicate with a pressure guiding hole (-) in the first retaining member (-). In this state, a narrow tube () made of stainless steel is passed through the pressure guiding passage (-) in the base body (-) and inserted and secured in the pressure guiding hole (-) in the first retaining member (-). This reduces the pressure receiving area of a pressure guiding passage that guides a pressure (P) of a measured fluid to a first surface (-) of a sensor diaphragm (-), suppresses force applied in the direction of separating the joint between the sensor chip () and the base body (-), and makes it possible to use a soft adhesive.

Pressure sensor

A pressure sensor according to the present invention includes a diaphragm () including a first principal surface (A) and a second principal surface (B) that is opposite thereto, the first principal surface receiving a pressure of a fluid; a semiconductor chip () provided with resistors that constitute a strain gauge; and at least three support members () made of an insulating material, each support member being fixed to the second principal surface at one end thereof and to the semiconductor chip at the other end thereof and extending perpendicularly to the second principal surface so as to support the semiconductor chip. One of the support members () is provided at a center () of the diaphragm in plan view. At least two of the other support members () are provided at positions point-symmetrical about the center of the diaphragm in plan view in a region in which the diaphragm is deformed when a pressure greater than a pressure applied to the second principal surface is applied to the first principal surface.

A pressure sensor chip according to the present invention includes a non-bonding region that is provided in a stopper member and connected to a periphery of a pressure introduction hole. A plurality of protrusions are discretely formed on at least one of a first surface and a second surface that face each other in the non-bonding region. Passages between the protrusions serve as channels between the periphery of the pressure introduction hole and a peripheral edge of the non-bonding region. Accordingly, stress concentration does not occur at a diaphragm edge and the expected withstand pressure can be obtained.

Pressure sensor chip

A pressure sensor includes a diaphragm having a first principal surface and a second principal surface, a semiconductor chip in which resistors constituting a strain gauge are formed, a first structural body having one end coupled to a center of a second principal surface of the diaphragm and the other end coupled to the other surface of the semiconductor chip, and at least two second structural bodies disposed in two straight lines, orthogonal to each other, that pass through the center of the diaphragm in plan view so as to be disposed separately from the first structural body, and having one ends coupled to the second principal surface and the other ends coupled to the other surface of the semiconductor chip, in which the resistors are formed in regions between the first structural body and the second structural bodies in plan view in the semiconductor chip.

A bottom surface of a sensor chip (or a lower surface of a first retaining member) that introduces the pressure of a measured fluid is joined to a bottom surface of a sensor chamber (or to an inner wall surface of a base body) to allow an enclosing chamber (formed by a pressure receiving chamber and a pressure guiding passage) between a pressure receiving diaphragm and the bottom surface of the sensor chip to communicate with a pressure guiding hole in the first retaining member. The sensor chamber is made open to the atmosphere. Thus, a wire bonding portion of a sensor diaphragm from which wires extend is positioned outside the enclosing chamber, and electrode pins and an enclosed liquid in the enclosing chamber are separated from each other.

A differential pressure sensor includes a sensor chip provided with a sensor diaphragm, a first retaining member bonded facing a peripheral edge portion of one face of the sensor diaphragm and having a first pressure guiding hole guiding a first fluid pressure to the one face of the sensor diaphragm, and a second retaining member bonded facing a peripheral edge portion of the other face of the sensor diaphragm and having a second pressure guiding hole guiding a second fluid pressure to the other face of the sensor diaphragm. The differential pressure sensor also includes a sensor housing having a sensor chamber containing the sensor chip, a first pressure guiding duct guiding the first fluid pressure to a first inner wall face of the sensor chamber, and a second pressure guiding duct guiding the second fluid pressure to a second inner wall face of the sensor chamber.

Differential pressure sensor

In a capacitance type pressure sensor () including capacitance detecting portions formed in opposed regions in a capacitance chamber which is at least partially formed of a diaphragm, the capacitance detecting portions being a pressure-sensitive capacitance detecting portion () formed in a region of the diaphragm having large sensitivity with respect to a pressure and a reference capacitance detecting portion () formed in a region of the diaphragm having small sensitivity with respect to a pressure, there is provided the capacitance type pressure sensor which is entirely small in size and superior in reliability by independently detecting a signal output value of the reference capacitance detecting portion ().

Capacitive pressure sensor

A flow sensor () is constituted by a substrate () having a front surface () side facing a channel () for a measurement target fluid (), and a channel forming member () and a plate () disposed oppositely across the substrate (). The substrate () is formed of stainless steel having a thickness of about 50 &#x3bc;m to 150 &#x3bc;m into a plate. An electric insulating film is formed on that surface () of the substrate () which is opposite to the channel () side, and a temperature detection sensor () for measuring the flow velocity (flow rate) of the fluid (), an ambient temperature sensor (), an electrode pad (), and a thin metal film () for wiring are formed on it.

Flow sensor

A capacitive pressure sensor includes a first substrate ( ), a first flat electrode ( ) formed on the first substrate ( ), a pressure-sensing frame ( ) surrounding the first flat electrode ( ) provided on the first substrate ( ), second substrates ( ) connected to the pressure-sensing frame ( ) opposedly to the first substrate ( ) and forming a capacitance chamber ( ) together with the first substrate ( ) and the pressure-sensing frame ( ), a stage ( ) provided on the second substrates ( ) in the capacitance chamber ( ), separated from the pressure-sensing frame ( ), and opposed to and separated from the first flat electrode ( ), and a second flat electrode ( ) provided on the stage ( ) and opposed to the first flat electrode ( ), wherein the pressure-sensing frame ( ) deforms elastically according to a pressure applied to the first and second substrates ( ).

Capacity type pressure sensor and method of manufacturing the pressure sensor

This invention includes a first electrode ( a, b, c, ) and a second electrode ( a, b, c, d) which are arranged to face each other so as not to come into contact with each other and a gap between which changes in accordance with a change in an amount to be detected, and a signal processor for calculating the amount to be detected on the basis of an electrostatic capacitance formed between the first and second electrodes. The first electrode has a portion ( a, a) and a portion ( b, b), areas of which that face the second electrode increases and decreases, respectively, upon a positioning error that occurs in a direction (x, y) parallel to the first electrode. These portions have the same area.

Capacitance type sensor

Pads and to be bonded to connection members are formed at positions where the pads face electrode extraction holes to A bonding agent low in wettability for the surfaces of electrodes and is used. The bonding agent and high-wettability material form the surfaces of the pads and This can firmly bond the connection members to the electrodes and and can prevent the electrodes and from short-circuiting.

Sensor and method of producing the same

A capacitive pressure sensor includes lower and upper wafers, a stationary electrode, first and second pads, a movable electrode, and a plurality of extraction electrodes. The lower wafer has a first capacitor forming portion and a first pad forming portion communicating with it. The upper wafer has a second capacitor forming portion, constituting a capacitor chamber together with the first capacitor forming portion, and a second pad forming portion communicating with it. The stationary electrode is formed on a bottom surface of the first capacitor forming portion. The first pad is formed on a bottom surface of the first pad forming portion and connected to the stationary electrode through a first interconnection. The movable electrode is formed on a bottom surface of the second capacitor forming portion to oppose the stationary electrode. The second pad is formed in the second pad forming portion and connected to the movable electrode through a second interconnection. The extraction electrodes are connected to the first and second pads and extracted outside through holes in the lower wafer. The lower and upper wafers are bonded to each other such that their pad forming portions are covered with their bonding surfaces.

A pressure sensor includes a sapphire base, a sapphire diaphragm, a capacitance chamber, a stationary electrode, and a movable electrode. The base has an R-plane major surface. The sapphire diaphragm is formed on the major surface of the base and has an R-plane major surface. The capacitance chamber has an upper surface covered with the diaphragm and has a recess formed in the major surface of the base. The stationary electrode is fixed to a bottom surface of the capacitance chamber. The movable electrode is fixed to a lower surface of the diaphragm in the capacitance chamber to oppose the stationary electrode. At least one of the movable and stationary electrodes has a shape extending on at least one of a line in a C-axis projection direction of a crystal passing through a center of the major surface of the diaphragm and a line in a direction perpendicular to the C-axis projection direction.

An electrostatic capacity-type pressure sensor includes a diaphragm support body, first and second lids, a fixed electrode, a coupling member, an electrode support member, and a movable electrode. The diaphragm support body is formed into a tube shape. The first and second lids have thin diaphragm portions and thick fixing portions formed integrally with peripheral edge portions of the diaphragm portions and are arranged to face each other by bringing the fixing portions in tight contact with the two end portions of the diaphragm support body. The first and second lids separate the interior of the diaphragm support body from the outside by closing the two end portions of the diaphragm support body. The fixed electrode is formed on the inner surface of the fixing portion of at least one of the first and second lids. The coupling member has two ends respectively connected to the first and second lids to couple the diaphragm portions facing each other. The electrode support member is supported by the coupling member and arranged between the first and second lids at a predetermined interval. The movable electrode is formed on the electrode support member so as to face the fixed electrode. The movable electrode and the fixed electrodes are arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval to constitute a capacitor.

Electrostatic capacity-type pressure sensor

A capacitive pressure sensor is provided which is capable of highly accurately and reliably measuring pressure over a wide range from an extremely low level to a high level without being affected by environmental changes. The capacitive pressure sensor is constructed of a first diaphragm; a second diaphragm arranged in parallel with the first diagram; a diaphragm support arranged between the first and second diaphragms for supporting the first and second diaphragms along the periphery thereof to define a space isolated from the outside; a plurality of pillars having respective ends fixed on the opposing surfaces of the first and second diaphragms for securely supporting the first and second diaphragms; a movable electrode formed on one of the opposing surfaces of the first and second diaphragms; and a fixed electrode formed in the space without contacting with the plurality of pillars and securely supported by the diaphragm support. Pressure values measured by the capacitive pressure sensor are substantially free from errors due to fluctuations in atmospheric pressure and errors caused by aging changes of residual stress on the bonding interface.

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Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiyuki Ishikura