Abstract:
A method for producing capacitive sensors which is used in particular for the parallel production of capacitive sensors with exactly defined stray capacitance. For this purpose, troughs (15, 16, 17) are cut along or parallel to the splitting lines (6), so that adjustment errors in the position of the cut, during separation of the sensors, and variations in the cut width have no effect on the stray capacitance.
Abstract:
An acceleration sensor and a method of making an acceleration sensor is described in which a movable sensor element is located in a hollow space formed in the middle of three silicon plates. During production, air can be removed from the hollow space through a hole in one of the two outer plates. The hole is then closed by an additional plate, which allows for a defined pressure to be set in the hollow space.
Abstract:
A method of making acceleration sensors with integrated measurement of internal pressure includes connecting multiple plates to each other, thereby defining internal cavities. The tightness of these connections or bonds is checked and controlled during the manufacturing process. The plates define membrane portions adjacent each cavity, the membranes deforming in accordance with the internal pressure in the adjacent cavity. Preferably, the internal pressure of the sensor is measurable by detecting deformation of a sensor wall which defines a membrane.
Abstract:
A method for manufacturing micro-mechanical components in which a structure is produced on a silicon layer, which is to be undercut in a further step. The silicon is selectively anodized for this undercutting operation. Thus, the method enables the manufacturing of micro-mechanical components that can be integrated together with bipolar circuit elements.
Abstract:
A micromechanical component includes: a substrate; a micromechanical functional plane provided on the substrate; a covering plane provided on the micromechanical functional plane; and a printed circuit trace plane provided on the covering plane. The covering plane includes a monocrystalline region which is epitaxially grown on an underlying monocrystalline region, and the covering plane includes a polycrystalline region which is epitaxially grown on an underlying polycrystalline starting layer at the same time.
Abstract:
A method for fabricating a micromechanical component, in particular a surface-micromechanical acceleration sensor, involves preparing a substrate and providing an insulation layer on the substrate, in which a patterned circuit trace layer is buried. A conductive layer, including a first region and a second region, is provided on the insulation layer, and a movable element is configured in the first region by forming a first plurality of trenches and by using an etching agent to remove at least one portion of the insulation layer from underneath the conductive layer. A contact element is formed and electrically connected to the circuit trace layer in the second region by configuring a second plurality of trenches, and the resultant movable element is encapsulated in the first region. The second plurality of trenches for forming the contact element in the second region is first formed after the encapsulation of the movable element formed in the first region.
Abstract:
A manufacturing method for a micromechanical component, and in particular for a micromechanical rotation rate sensor, which has a supporting first layer, an insulating second layer that is arranged on the first layer, and a conductive third layer that is arranged on the second layer. The method includes the following steps: provide the second layer, in the form of patterned first and second insulation regions, on the first layer; provide a first protective layer on an edge region of the first insulation regions and on a corresponding boundary region of the first layer; provide the third layer on the structure resulting from the previous steps; pattern out a structure of conductor paths running on the first insulation regions, and a functional structure of the micromechanical component above the second insulation regions, from the third layer; and remove the second layer in the second insulation regions, the second layer being protected in the first insulation regions by the first protective layer in such a way that it is essentially not removed there.
Abstract:
A sensor in which the structure of a movable element is produced from an upper silicon layer of a laminated substrate. Individual regions of the upper layer are insulated from one another by insulation trenches which are bridged by conductor tracks coupled to at least one electrode on the movable element and at least one stationary electrode on the upper layer proximate to the at least one electrode on the movable element.
Abstract:
A mass flow sensor includes a measuring element arranged on a membrane that is clamped in a frame. The sensor is formed by introducing a recess into a silicon wafer. Through the application of a recess having perpendicular walls, the thickness of the frame can be reduced, thus allowing the required surface area of the wafer to also be reduced.
Abstract:
A micromechanical sensor includes a support of silicon substrate having an epitaxial layer of silicon applied on the silicon substrate. A part of the epitaxial layer is laid bare to form at least one micromechanical deflection part by an etching process. The bared deflection part is made of polycrystalline silicon which has grown in polycrystalline form during the epitaxial process over a silicon-oxide layer which has been removed by etching. In the support region and/or at the connection to the silicon substrate, the exposed deflection part passes into single crystal silicon. By large layer thicknesses, a large working capacity of the sensor is possible. The sensor structure provides enhanced mechanical stability, processability, and possibilities of shaping, and it can be integrated, in particular, in a bipolar process or mixed process (bipolar-CMOS, bipolar-CMOS-DMOS).