IP Library Granted Patent US 10,682,498
Granted Patent B2
US 10,682,498 · App. 15/785,024 · Granted Jun 16, 2020

Light shields for catheter sensors

Inventors: Holger Doering (Sunnyvale, CA); Stephen C. Terry (Palo Alto, CA); Justin Gaynor (Mountain View, CA); Omar Abed (San Jose, CA); Fernando Alfaro (Redwood City, CA)
Assignee: SILICON MICROSTRUCTURES, INC.
A61M25/0147A61B90/06A61M25/0009G01L9/0042G01L9/0052G01L19/0069G01L27/005A61B2017/00323A61B2090/064A61B2562/18A61B2562/185A61M2025/0002A61M2025/0166
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,682,498
App. No.
15/785,024
Granted
Jun 16, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Pressure sensors and associated structures that may have reduced light sensitivity. An example may provide structures reducing light at a component on a membrane of a pressure sensor.

Claims (42)

1. A pressure sensor system comprising:

a pressure sensor comprising:

a membrane;

a plurality of components on the membrane;

a plurality of bondpads on the pressure sensor, the plurality of bondpads having a first spacing; and

a light shield formed by depositing a first layer over the plurality of components on the membrane.

2. The pressure sensor system of claim 1 wherein the light shield is electrically floating.

3. The pressure sensor system of claim 2 further comprising:

a plurality of wires, each wire attached to a corresponding one of the plurality of bondpads; and

an alignment structure to space the plurality of wires such that adjacent wires in the plurality of wires have the first spacing.

4. The pressure sensor system of claim 3 wherein the alignment structure is separate from the pressure sensor.

5. The pressure sensor system of claim 4 wherein the alignment structure comprises insulation layers around each of the plurality of wires.

6. The pressure sensor system of claim 4 wherein the alignment structure comprises an insulation layer around each of the plurality of wires.

7. The pressure sensor system of claim 3 further comprising a blocking structure between the bondpads and the membrane.

8. The pressure sensor system of claim 7 wherein the blocking structure comprises a trench.

9. The pressure sensor system of claim 1 wherein the light shield is electrically disconnected from the pressure sensor system.

10. A pressure sensor system comprising:

a pressure sensor comprising:

a membrane;

a plurality of components located on or near the membrane;

a light shield over the plurality of components; and

a plurality of coplanar bondpads; and

a plurality of wires, each having an exposed portion on at least one end of the wire; and

an alignment structure to space the plurality of wires such that spacings of the exposed portions of adjacent wires in the plurality of wires match spacings of adjacent bondpads in the plurality of bondpads, the alignment structure separate from the pressure sensor.

11. The pressure sensor system of claim 10 wherein the light shield is electrically floating.

12. The pressure sensor system of claim 11 wherein the alignment structure comprises insulation layers surrounding each wire.

13. The pressure sensor system of claim 11 wherein the alignment structure comprises an insulation layer surrounding the plurality of wires.

14. The pressure sensor system of claim 10 wherein the light shield is electrically disconnected from the pressure sensor system.

15. The pressure sensor system of claim 10 wherein the light shield is formed by depositing a metal layer.

16. The pressure sensor of claim 15 wherein the light shield is electrically floating.

17. A pressure sensor system comprising:

a pressure sensor comprising:

a plurality of bondpads;

a membrane;

a component on or near the membrane; and

a light-reducing layer deposited over the component; and

a plurality of wires, each having an exposed portion on at least one end of the wire, each wire connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of bondpads.

18. The pressure sensor system of claim 17 wherein the light-reducing layer is a metallic layer that is electrically floating.

19. The pressure sensor system of claim 17 wherein the light-reducing layer is a metallic layer that is electrically disconnected form the pressure sensor system.

20. The pressure sensor system of claim 17 wherein the light-reducing layer is a light shield formed of a metallic layer.

21. The pressure sensor system of claim 20 wherein the metallic layer is formed of a gold layer, and wherein the gold layer is over a layer comprising one of tantalum, titanium-tungsten, or titanium.

22. The pressure sensor system of claim 20 wherein the component is a resistor.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Jun 21, 2022
From: SILICON MICROSTRUCTURES, INC.
To: MEASUREMENT SPECIALTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 060257/0267 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INVENTOR'S NAME FROM FERNARDO ALFARO TO FERNANDO ALFARO PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 044643 FRAME 0143. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Recorded Jan 18, 2018
From: DOERING, HOLGER; TERRY, STEPHEN C.; GAYNOR, JUSTIN; ABED, OMAR; ALFARO, FERNANDO
To: SILICON MICROSTRUCTURES, INC.
Reel/Frame 046266/0041 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2018
From: DOERING, HOLGER; TERRY, STEPHEN C.; GAYNOR, JUSTIN; ABED, OMAR; ALFARO, FERNARDO
To: SILICON MICROSTRUCTURES, INC.
Reel/Frame 044643/0143 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 15295051 · Oct 17, 2016
Continuation 15227370 · Aug 3, 2016
Provisional Application 62232394 · Sep 24, 2015
Related Publication 20180099120A1 · Apr 12, 2018