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A polycrystalline SiC-on-Si architecture for capacitive pressure sensing applications beyond 400 °C: Process development and device performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2012

Jiangang Du  and
Christian A. Zorman
Jiangang Du
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Christian A. Zorman*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: Christian.Zorman@case.edu
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Abstract

To overcome the low fabrication yield associated with single crystalline 3C–SiC diaphragm-based high temperature capacitive pressure sensors fabricated by wafer bonding, we have developed an alternative based on a polycrystalline SiC-on-Si architecture. The capacitive pressure sensing element, i.e., a thin film diaphragm, was fabricated using low stress and high conductivity low-pressure chemical vapor deposition poly-SiC thin films, and the sensing architecture was formed by wafer bonding a poly-SiC film to a Si substrate using phosphosilicate glass bonding films. With a geometric aspect ratio of up to 800:1 and a maximum deflection load eight times or more to their thickness, the poly-SiC diaphragm-based sensors presented repeatable pressure sensing characteristics up to 500 °C.

Keywords

poly-SiCwafer bondingmicromachininghigh temperature pressure sensor,
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 28 , Issue 1: Focus Issue: Silicon Carbide – Materials, Processing and Devices , 14 January 2013 , pp. 120 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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