Monolithically integrated multi-sensor device on a semiconductor substrate and method therefor
An integrated circuit having an indirect sensor and a direct sensor formed on a common semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The direct sensor requires the parameter being measured to be directly applied to the direct sensor. Conversely, the indirect sensor can have the parameter being measured to be indirectly applied to the indirect sensor. The parameter being measured by the direct sensor is different than the parameter being measured by the indirect sensor. In other words, the direct sensor and indirect sensor are of different types. An example of a direct sensor is a pressure sensor. The pressure being measured by the pressure sensor must be applied to the pressure sensor. An example of an indirect sensor is an accelerometer. The rate of change of velocity does not have to be applied directly to the accelerometer. In one embodiment, the direct and indirect sensors are formed using photolithographic techniques.
1. An integrated circuit having three or more sensors comprising:
the integrated circuit comprising:
a first sensor configured to measure a first parameter;
a second sensor configured to measure a second parameter; and
a third sensor configured to measure a third parameter wherein the first, second, and third parameters are different.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is a MEMs sensor and wherein the second sensor is a MEMs sensor.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third sensors respectively comprise an accelerometer, pressure sensor, and a microphone.
4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third sensors respectively comprise a pressure sensor, a gyroscope, and a microphone.
5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third sensors respectively comprise an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, and a humidity sensor.
6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third sensors respectively comprise a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, and an infra-red sensor.
7. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third sensors respectively comprise an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, and a magnetic sensor.
8. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third sensors respectively comprise a pressure sensor, a microphone, and a magnetic sensor.
9. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third sensors respectively comprise an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.
10. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein the first sensor is exposed to an external environment and wherein the second sensor is sealed from the external environment.
11. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein the second sensor is sealed by one or more deposited layers.
12. The integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein the one or more deposited layers comprise at least one of polycrystalline silicon, epitaxially deposited silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon germanium, germanium, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, metal, polyimide, or parylene.
13. An integrated circuit having three or more sensors comprising;
the integrated circuit comprising:
a first MEMs sensor;
a second MEMs sensor; and
a third sensor wherein the first, second, and third sensors each measure a different parameter.
14. The integrated circuit of claim 13 wherein the first MEMs sensor is configured to be exposed to an external environment to receive a first parameter and wherein the second MEMs sensor is sealed from the external environment.
15. The integrated circuit of claim 14 wherein the second MEMs sensor is sealed by one or more deposited layers and wherein the third sensor is MEMs sensor.
16. The integrated circuit of claim 15 wherein the one or more deposited layers comprise at least one of polycrystalline silicon, epitaxially deposited silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon germanium, germanium, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, metal, polyimide, or parylene.
17. The integrated circuit of claim 16 wherein the second MEMs sensor can be sealed by depositing a layer using at least one of low pressure chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition, sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, metallo organic chemical vapor deposition, or molecular beam epitaxy or wherein the first sensor can be sealed using one of sputtering, evaporating, spin-coating, electro-plating, or spray coating a material on the integrated circuit.
18. An integrated circuit having a plurality of sensors comprising:
the integrated circuit comprising:
a first MEMs sensor wherein the first MEMs sensor is exposed to an external environment; and
a second MEMs sensor wherein the second MEMs sensor is sealed from the external environment and wherein the first and second MEMs sensors measure a different parameter.
19. The integrated circuit of claim 18 wherein the second MEMs sensor is sealed by one or more layers comprising at least one of polycrystalline silicon, epitaxially deposited silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon germanium, germanium, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, metal, polyimide, or parylene.
20. The integrated circuit of claim 18 further including wherein the second MEMs sensor can be sealed by depositing one or more layers using at least one of low pressure chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition, sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, metallo organic chemical vapor deposition, or molecular beam epitaxy or wherein the first sensor can be sealed using one of sputtering, evaporating, spin-coating, electro-plating, or spray coating a material on the integrated circuit.