Diaphragm shape effect on the performance of foil-based capacitive pressure sensors

Abstract

We present detailed shape-based analyses to compare the performance of metal foil-based capacitive pressure sensors based on the shape of the diaphragm (top electrode). We perform a detailed analysis on the use of new material and deflection in various shaped diaphragms to act as a performance indicator for pressure-based capacitive sensors. A low-cost, recyclable, and readily available material is used to present an alternative to the expensive materials used in conventional pressure sensors. Diaphragms of five different shapes (circle, ellipse, pentagon, square, and rectangle) are fabricated and analyzed. Mathematical, FEM, and experimental tests are performed for capacitive sensors fabricated in five different shapes. The mathematically calculated deflection for each shaped diaphragm is compared with the results of the corresponding FEM simulations. Two different experiments are performed to verify the performance of pressure sensors.