An ultra-sensitive, high-vacuum absolute capacitive pressure sensor

Author

Yafan Zhang ; Massoud-Ansari, S. ; Guangqing Meng ; Woojin Kim ; Najafi, N.

Author_Institution

Integrated Sensing Syst. Inc., Ypsilanti, MI, USA

fYear

2001

fDate

25-25 Jan. 2001

Firstpage

166

Lastpage

169

Abstract

This paper reports the development of a family of ultrasensitive and ultra-high-vacuum absolute capacitive pressure sensors, fabricated using the dissolved wafer process technology (DWP). One type of the sensors offers the following characteristics: full range 0-0.5 Torr, sub-/spl mu/Torr resolution, five orders of magnitude pressure response, high stability, and the highest aspect ratio of diaphragm area to its thickness of any MEMS capacitive sensors ever reported worldwide. This novel pressure sensor is pushing the edge of the technology and is capable of operating within the pressure ranges previously monitored only by the "Cold Cathode" and "Hot Filament Ion" techniques.

Keywords

capacitive sensors; diaphragms; microsensors; pressure sensors; vacuum measurement; 0 to 0.5 torr; MEMS technology; aspect ratio; diaphragm; dissolved wafer process; fabrication; ultra-sensitive ultra-high-vacuum absolute capacitive pressure sensor; Capacitive sensors; Chemical sensors; Fabrication; Glass; Micromachining; Micromechanical devices; Microstructure; Sensor phenomena and characterization; Silicon; Vacuum technology;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, 2001. MEMS 2001. The 14th IEEE International Conference on

Conference_Location

Interlaken, Switzerland

ISSN

1084-6999

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5998-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MEMSYS.2001.906506

Filename

906506