A method for inspecting a pressure pulse wave sensor is provided. The sensor chip includes a recess which is recessed in a direction perpendicular to the pressure-sensitive face, and the pressure-sensitive element array is formed in a portion of the sensor chip whose thickness is reduced in the direction due to the recess. The method includes: bonding and fixing the sensor chip onto the substrate so that the recess communicates with atmospheric air through only the through hole of the substrate; connecting a substrate-side terminal portion of the substrate and the chip-side terminal portion through an electrically conductive member; and performing characteristic evaluation on the sensor chip based on a signal outputted from the substrate-side terminal portion in a state in which air is sucked through the through hole of the substrate to thereby apply negative pressure to the pressure-sensitive face.

A pressure sensor comprising a housing, a diaphragm wafer, and an isolator configured to absorb lateral stress. The diaphragm wafer includes a fully exposed diaphragm, a fluid contact surface, a sensing element, and a support portion, where the support portion and the contact surface define a cavity. The isolator extends laterally from the support portion to the housing. The pressure sensor is easily drainable, eliminating the buildup of particulates, and the diaphragm can be directly wire-bonded to printed circuit boards, eliminating the need for extensive electrical feedthrough.

A pressure sensing apparatus for a vehicle may include: a sensor element configured to measure a change in air pressure by a vehicle collision; a housing unit into which the sensor element is seated, and including a terminal unit electrically coupled to the sensor element, the housing unit being fixed to a vehicle body; a cover unit removably installed on the housing unit; and an elastic pressing unit including a first end coupled to the cover unit, and a second end protruding toward the sensor element and pressing the sensor element, the elastic pressing unit being made of elastically deformable material. An area of a pressing surface of the elastic pressing unit that faces the sensor element may be equal to or less than an area of a surface of the sensor element that faces the pressing surface.

Suspending a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensing element inside a cavity using spring-like corrugations or serpentine crenellations, reduces thermally-mismatched mechanical stress on the sensing element. Overlaying the spring-like structures and the sensing element with a gel further reduces thermally-mismatched stress and vibrational dynamic stress.

A microelectromechanical force/pressure sensor has: a sensor die, of semiconductor material, having a front surface and a bottom surface, extending in a horizontal plane, and made of a compact bulk region having a thickness along a vertical direction, transverse to the horizontal plane; piezoresistive elements, integrated in the bulk region of the sensor die, at the front surface thereof; and a cap die, coupled above the sensor die, covering the piezoresistive elements, having a respective front surface and bottom surface, opposite to each other along the vertical direction, the bottom surface facing the front surface of the sensor die. A conversion layer is arranged between the front surface of the sensor die and the bottom surface of the cap die, patterned to define a groove traversing its entire thickness along the vertical direction; the piezoresistive elements are arranged vertically in correspondence to the groove and the conversion layer is designed to convert a load applied to the front surface of the cap die and/or bottom surface of the sensor die along the vertical direction into a planar stress distribution at the groove, acting in the horizontal plane.

Sensor packages and manners of formation are described. In an embodiment, a sensor package includes a supporting die characterized by a recess area and a support anchor protruding above the recess area. A sensor die is bonded to the support anchor such that an air gap exists between the sensor die and the recess area. The sensor die includes a sensor positioned directly above the air gap.

A MEMS device includes a backing wafer with a support portion and central back plate connected to the support portion with spring flexures, a diaphragm wafer with a support portions and a sensing portion connected to the support portion with spring flexures, a passivation layer on the diaphragm, and a topping wafer. The device allows for stress isolation of a diaphragm in a piezoresistive device without a large MEMS die.

A method for inspecting a pressure pulse wave sensor is provided. The sensor chip includes a recess which is recessed in a direction perpendicular to the pressure-sensitive face, and the pressure-sensitive element array is formed in a portion of the sensor chip whose thickness is reduced in the direction due to the recess. The method includes: bonding and fixing the sensor chip onto the substrate so that the recess communicates with atmospheric air through only the through hole of the substrate; connecting a substrate-side terminal portion of the substrate and the chip-side terminal portion through an electrically conductive member; and performing characteristic evaluation on the sensor chip based on a signal outputted from the substrate-side terminal portion in a state in which air is sucked through the through hole of the substrate to thereby apply negative pressure to the pressure-sensitive face.

The invention relates to a pressure sensor including: a sensitive element including a mounting substrate, said mounting substrate including a top surface and a bottom surface, the sensitive element also including a deformable diaphragm that is connected to the top surface of the mounting substrate; a housing, in which the sensitive element is placed, said housing including a base; an intermediate structure placed between the base of the housing and the mounting substrate, said intermediate structure including a base, the base including a top surface and a bottom surface that is connected to the base of the housing, said intermediate structure being configured such as to keep the mounting substrate at a predetermined distance from the top surface of the intermediate structure; and an adhesive layer extending onto the top surface of the intermediate structure. Said adhesive layer has a thickness controlled by the predetermined distance at which the mounting substrate is kept from the top surface of the intermediate structure. The invention also relates to a method for making such a pressure sensor.

A pressure detection device including a mount whereon a pressure sensor is attached which comprises a membrane which has a surface intended to be subjected to a pressurized fluid and which is so arranged as to elastically deform according to pressure, and means for determining the deformation of the membrane along an axis normal to a mid-plane of the membrane in the rest state. The membrane is supported by a frame connected to the mount by a mechanical decoupling structure in order to isolate the membrane from stress resulting from a differential thermal expansion between the frame and the mount, with the membrane and the frame being made of the same material.