A silicon variable capacitance pressure sensor has two silicon wafers. The first wafer has a first capacitor plate contacting a highly doped first semiconductor path through the first wafer. The second wafer has a second capacitor plate contacting a highly doped second semiconductor path through the second wafer. An insulating layer is attached to the first and second wafers for preventing electrically conductive coupling between the first and second wafers, thereby reducing parasitic capacitance between the first and second semiconductor paths.