Surface-micromachined capacitive differential pressure sensor with lithographically defined silicon diaphragm

Abstract

A capacitive surface-micromachined sensor suitable for the measurement of liquid and gas pressures was fabricated. The structure consists of a polysilicon stationary electrode suspended 0.7 /spl mu/m above a 20-/spl mu/m-thick lightly doped silicon diaphragm formed by a patterned etch stop. The a priori patterning of the buried etch stop yields diaphragm widths independent of wafer thickness variations with excellent alignment. The design described here has a pressure range of 100 PSI, a nominal capacitance of 3.5 pF with a full scale span of 0.8 pF, and a temperature coefficient of 100 ppm/spl deg/C/sup -1/. Each device, including a matched reference capacitor, occupies 2.9 mm/sup 2/, yielding approximately 2000 devices per 100-mm wafer.