An integrated on-chip pressure sensor for accurate control applications
Abstract
Recent developments in microprocessor technology have opened up entire new vistas for control and monitoring applications that had previously been either too costly or impractical from an engineering standpoint. In the past, pressure sensing has been largely accomplished using mechanical techniques of questionable reliability and often requiring complex, expensive electronic interface circuitry if a control function was to be included as part of the measurement. The introduction of semiconductor pressure increased reliability and reduced the cost, but these early units still had the need for off-chip temperature compensation and calibration. The transition from basic sensing element to integrated sensor has involved the blending of sophisticated micromachining techniques, thin film resistor technology and bipolar wafer processing, each with its own particular processing problems. The problems, and attendent solutions, that are addressed are: sensor technology, cavity etch, thin film resistor technology, laser trimming techniques, and amplifiers.
- Publication:
-
In Novasensor
- Pub Date:
- 1986
- Bibcode:
- 1986sss..workT....S
- Keywords:
-
- Chips (Electronics);
- Control Equipment;
- Integrated Circuits;
- Microelectronics;
- Pressure Sensors;
- Amplifiers;
- Etching;
- Laser Applications;
- Low Cost;
- Microprocessors;
- Reliability;
- Resistors;
- Thin Films;
- Wafers;
- Instrumentation and Photography