Silicon sensor technologies

An important and rapidly expanding extension of silicon integrated circuit technology is silicon micro-mechanics. This technology utilizes integrated circuit processing methods to fabricate miniature mechanical structures on silicon chips, together with electronic devices. Such structures are most often employed in physical sensing applications. For 20 years, the commercial work-horse of the industry has been the piezo-resistive, thin-diaphragm silicon pressure transducer. This paper will describe several exciting new devices and sensor structures which are now on a fast development track within the sensor community. They will be the fore-runners of new generations of advanced sensor technologies and will alter the way we think about all types of miniature mechanical devices and components.