IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,760,929
Granted Patent B2
US 10,760,929 · App. 15/781,352 · Granted Sep 1, 2020

Environmental sensor and manufacturing method thereof

Inventors: Junkai Zhan (Shandong, CN); Mengjin Cai (Shandong, CN)
Assignee: Weifang Goertek Microelectronics Co., Ltd.
G01D5/2417B81C1/00182B81C1/00214G01K7/34G01L9/0045G01L9/0047G01L9/0073B81B2201/0214B81B2201/0221B81B2201/0264B81B2201/0278B81B2207/053
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,760,929
App. No.
15/781,352
Granted
Sep 1, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An environmental sensor and manufacturing method thereof. The environmental sensor comprises: a substrate comprising at least one recess disposed at an upper portion of the substrate; and a sensitive film layer disposed above the substrate, comprising a fixed portion fixed on an end surface of the substrate and a bent portion configured to extend inside the recess. The bent portion and a side wall of the recess form a capacitor configured to detect a signal. The bent portion, fixed portion, and the recess form a closed cavity. A conventional capacitive structure configured on a substrate surface is changed to a capacitive structure of the environmental sensor vertically extending into the inside of the substrate, increasing a depth of the recess, and in turn, increasing a sensing area between two polar plates of the capacitor, significantly shrinking a coverage area of the capacitor on the substrate, and satisfying a requirement of a modern compact electronic component.

Claims (31)

1. An environmental sensor comprising:

a base material ( 1 ), wherein the upper end of the base material ( 1 ) is provided with at least one groove ( 1 a ); and

a sensitive film layer ( 3 ) on the base material ( 1 ), the sensitive film layer ( 3 ) comprises a fixed part ( 3 b ) fixed on the end surface of the base material ( 1 ) and a bending part ( 3 a ) extending into the groove ( 1 a ), the bending part ( 3 a ) and the side wall of the groove ( 1 a ) form a capacitor configured for signal detection;

wherein:

the bending part ( 3 a ), the fixed part ( 3 b ) and the groove ( 1 a ) form an airtight cavity, and

the sensitive film layer ( 3 ) further comprises a connecting part ( 3 d ) connected to two adjacent bending parts ( 3 a ), and the connecting part ( 3 d ) is suspended above the end surface of the base material ( 1 ).

2. The environmental sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the bending part ( 3 a ) is suspended in the groove ( 1 a ).

3. The environmental sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom end of the bending part ( 3 a ) is fixed on the bottom end of the groove ( 1 a ) by a first sacrificial layer ( 2 ).

4. The environmental sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting part ( 3 d ) is further provided with a hollow ( 3 c ), and the two adjacent bending parts ( 3 a ) are insulated by the hollow ( 3 c ); and the environmental sensor further comprises a second sacrificial layer ( 4 ) filling the hollow ( 3 c ).

5. An environmental sensor comprising:

a base material ( 1 ), wherein the upper end of the base material ( 1 ) is provided with at least one groove ( 1 a );

a fixed film layer ( 8 ) at least disposed on the side wall of the groove ( 1 a ) of the base material ( 1 ) by an insulating layer; and

a sensitive film layer ( 3 ) on the base material ( 1 ), the sensitive film layer ( 3 ) comprises a fixed part ( 3 b ) fixed on the end surface of the base material ( 1 ) and a bending part ( 3 a ) extending into the groove ( 1 a ), the bending part ( 3 a ) and the side wall of the fixed film layer ( 8 ) form a capacitor configured for signal detection;

wherein:

the bending part ( 3 a ), the fixed part ( 3 b ) and the groove ( 1 a ) form an airtight cavity, and

the sensitive film layer ( 3 ) further comprises a connecting part ( 3 d ) connected to two adjacent bending parts ( 3 a ), and the connecting part ( 3 d ) is suspended above the end surface of the base material ( 1 ).

6. The environmental sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the bending part ( 3 a ) is suspended in the groove ( 1 a ).

7. The environmental sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the bottom end of the bending part ( 3 a ) is fixed on the bottom end of the groove ( 1 a ) by a first sacrificial layer ( 2 ).

8. The environmental sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the connecting part ( 3 d ) is further provided with a hollow ( 3 c ), the two adjacent bending parts ( 3 a ) are insulated by the hollow ( 3 c ), and the environmental sensor further comprises a second sacrificial layer ( 4 ) filling the hollow ( 3 c ).

9. A manufacturing method for an environmental sensor, the method comprising:

a) etching a groove ( 1 a ) in the upper end surface of a base material ( 1 ), and depositing a first sacrificial layer ( 2 ) on the upper end surface of the base material ( 1 ) and the inner wall of the groove ( 1 a );

b) depositing a sensitive film layer ( 3 ) on the first sacrificial layer ( 2 ), wherein the sensitive film layer ( 3 ) comprises a fixed part ( 3 b ) fixed on the end surface of the base material ( 1 ) and a bending part ( 3 a ) extending into the groove ( 1 a );

c) etching the sensitive film layer ( 3 ) on the end surface of the base material ( 1 ) to form a hollow ( 3 c );

d) at least corroding the first sacrificial layer ( 2 ) located between the bending part ( 3 a ) and the side wall of the groove ( 1 a ) by the hollow ( 3 c );

e) depositing a second sacrificial layer ( 4 ) on the sensitive film layer ( 3 ), wherein the second sacrificial layer ( 4 ) seals the hollow ( 3 c ); and

f) corroding the second sacrificial layer ( 4 ) located on the bending part ( 3 a ).

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9 , wherein, between the step e) and the step f), the method further comprises etching the positions on the second sacrificial layer ( 4 ) on both sides of the hollow ( 3 c ) to form a side wall groove ( 4 a ), and depositing a protective layer ( 5 ) on the upper end of the second sacrificial layer ( 4 ), wherein the protective layer ( 5 ) is filled in the side wall groove ( 4 a ).

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 9 , wherein in the step d), the first sacrificial layer ( 2 ) between the bending part ( 3 a ) and the groove ( 1 a ) is completely corroded, such that the bending part ( 3 a ) is suspended in the groove ( 1 a ).

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 9 , wherein, before the first sacrificial layer ( 2 ) is deposited in the step a), the method further comprises depositing a third sacrificial layer ( 7 ) and a fixed film layer ( 8 ) on the inner wall of the groove ( 1 a ) in sequence.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 9 , wherein the bending part ( 3 a ) comprises at least two bending parts ( 3 a ), the sensitive film layer ( 3 ) further comprises a connecting part ( 3 d ) connected to two adjacent of the bending parts ( 3 a ), and the connecting part ( 3 d ) is suspended above the end surface of the base material ( 1 ).

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 13 , wherein the two adjacent bending parts ( 3 a ) are insulated by the hollow ( 3 c ).

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: GOERTEK, INC.
To: WEIFANG GOERTEK MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 052846/0443 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2018
From: ZHAN, JUNKAI; CAI, MENGJIN
To: GOERTEK INC.
Reel/Frame 046044/0194 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2015 1 0890382 · Dec 4, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180356255A1 · Dec 13, 2018