ELECTRODE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR ANODICALLY-BONDED CAPACITIVE SENSORS

• Main Author: WARREN, KEITH O
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 09.11.1999
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVEREDIN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT; MEASURING; MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER,MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE; MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION,OR SHOCK; MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TESTING

A sensing electrode (24, 26) on a glass layer (14, 16) of an anodically-bonded capacitive sensor (10) has an interfacial barrier film (46) containing a nitride compound between the electrode (24, 26) and the glass layer (14, 16). In one embodiment, the capacitive sensor (10) is an inertial sensor having a sensing element (20) hingedly mounted to a frame (18) which is anodically bonded to the glass layer (14, 16). The sensing electrode (24, 26) is then located on a surface of the glass layer (14, 16) facing the sensing element (20). The sensing element (20) and the frame (18) are preferably made of silicon and the interfacial film (46) is preferably silicon nitride.