Behavior and application of silicon diaphragms with a boss and corrugations

Non-planar diaphragms fabricated using the boron doped p/sup +/ etch stop technique may be deformed due to internal tensile stresses. Experiments and finite element analyses were carried out to study the effects of internal stresses on diaphragm behavior. The experimental and modeling results are consistent. Separate thermal processes performed before and after the diaphragm etch were developed to control the diaphragm deformation. By using the diaphragms with a boss and corrugations, capacitive pressure sensors with excellent linearity and large capacitance changes were fabricated for a variety of pressure ranges.<
>