Silicon pressure sensor chip with a shear element on a sculptured diaphragm

摘要

A silicon pressure sensor chip has a shear element on a sculptured diaphragm. The shear element is a piezo-resistive four-terminal resistor which is oriented so as to respond to the in-plane shear stress component in the diaphragm. The shear element is located on a thick shelf which is a portion of the sculptured diaphragm, which also has a thinner portion. This diaphragm configuration increases the bending moment at the location of the sensing element through the load of the thin portion of the diaphragm, which is suspended along the periphery of the thick shelf.