Microelectronic Engineering 83 (2006) 1209–1211

www.elsevier.com/locate/mee

Capacitive pressure sensors and switches fabricated

using strain compensated SiGeB
a,*
S. Chatzandroulis , S. Koliopoulou a, D. Goustouridis a, D. Tsoukalas b

a
Institute of Microelectronics, NCSR ‘Demokritos’, 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Greece
b
Department of Applied Sciences, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Zografou, Greece

Available online 3 February 2006

Abstract

The fabrication of capacitive pressure sensors and pressure switches using a 2.4 lm thick strain compensated heavily boron doped
SiGeB diaphragm is presented. The process relies on the silicon fusion bonding of two silicon wafers to seal the pressure sensor cavity
and construct the device. Both rectangular and circular type pressure sensors and pressure switches have successfully been fabricated
using this process. Results are presented of a capacitive type sensor operating in the medical pressure regime (0–300 mmHg) with a sen-
sitivity to pressure of 1.5 fF/mmHg or 305 ppm/mmHg, and of a pressure switch operating in the 3–8 bar pressure range and are thus
suitable for a number of industrial and automotive applications. The current flowing through the switch when biased at 2 V jumps over
six orders of magnitude when its two plates come in contact at a well defined pressure threshold.
 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Pressure sensor; Pressure switch; Silicon germanium; Strain compensation; Capacitive sensor

1. Introduction Another way to alleviate the internal tensile stress due to

Heavy doping of silicon combined with wet etching in
alkaline solutions or EDP (ethylenediamine, pyrocatechol
and water) is commonly used in the fabrication of silicon
micromechanical systems [1], taking advantage of the
abrupt fall of silicon etch rate upon exposure to highly
doped regions [2,3]. However, the incorporation of B
atoms in the silicon lattice results in high tensile stress
due to the small radius of B. This internal tensile stress
leads, in turn, to the significant degradation of the pressure
sensitivity of heavily boron doped membranes when com-
pared to their stress free counterparts, according to a scal-
ing theory in [4]. Thus compensating for the induced stress
in the sensor diaphragm is highly desirable if device perfor-
mance and reliability is to be improved. Previous efforts
towards that goal employed the deposition of silicon oxide
or nitride coatings [5].
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 210 6503271; fax: +30 210 651 1723.
E-mail address: stavros@imel.demokritos.gr (S. Chatzandroulis).
boron doping is the introduction of an element, like Ge, in
the lattice with larger covalent radius than silicon in order
to compensate for the contraction of the lattice due to the
smaller covalent radius of the boron atom [6,7]. Such strain
compensated Si1 x yGexBy layers have been shown to
exhibit excellent characteristics and high selectivities, simi-
lar to those exhibited by simple heavily boron doped layers
when used as etch stops in wet chemical etching solutions
[8]. In this work we take advantage of these properties to
fabricate capacitive type pressure sensors and pressure
switches using a strain compensated Si1 x yGexBy epitax-
ial layer and silicon fusion bonding.
A schematic view of the sensor we have developed is
depicted in Fig. 1. The device consists of a cavity etched
in a thick wet oxide, a fixed electrode and a flexible elec-
trode. When pressure is applied the flexible electrode
deflects towards the fixed electrode and the device capaci-
tance changes. In capacitive type pressure sensors it is this
change that is of interest. Rather in pressure switches the
value of pressure at which the flexible electrode will touch
the fixed electrode is the important parameter.

0167-9317/$ - see front matter  2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.mee.2006.01.048
1210 S. Chatzandroulis et al. / Microelectronic Engineering 83 (2006) 1209–1211

Fig. 1. Schematic view of the pressure sensor. Fig. 2. Photographic view of a silicon die with pressure switches.

3. Results

Results are presented of a capacitive type pressure sens- Testing of the pressure sensing devices was performed in
ing element operating in the medical pressure regime a custom pressure control chamber using a 4192 HP bridge
(0–300 mmHg) with sensitivity of 1.5 fF/mmHg, and of (Fig. 3). In Fig. 4 the capacitance to pressure (C–P)
pressure switches operating in the 3–8 bar range. response of a circular 395 lm in diameter pressure sensor
is shown, while in Fig. 5 that of a rectangular sensor with
2. Experimental a side of 375 lm. The devices exhibits temperature depen-
dence due to the expansion of the trapped gas, as the seal-
The process employs two silicon wafers which are fusion ing is performed in ambient. A temperature coefficient of
bonded: wafer A, a 4-in. n-type (1 0 0) silicon wafer, and
wafer B, a 4-in. silicon wafer with a strain compensated
heavily boron doped Si1 x yGexBy epitaxial layer (2.4 lm
thick). The boron concentration in the epitaxial layer is
1.6 · 1020. Wafer A will constitute the main body of the
final device, while wafer B is all etched away except for
the highly boron/germanium doped epitaxial layer.
The process begins with wafer A undergoing a phospho-
rus doping, in order to form what will eventually become
the fixed electrode. This step is followed by a wet oxidation
to form a 1 lm thick oxide which is subsequently patterned
to create the pressure sensor cavity and the necessary open-
ings for the fixed electrode contacts. The two wafers are Fig. 3. Pressure sensor measurement setup.
then silicon fusion bonded and annealed at 1000 C for
1 h. The bonded structure is then thinned down from the
epitaxial Si1 x yGexBy wafer side in an EDP solution so
as to leave only the heavily doped epitaxial layer of
8.0 Circular Sensor 395um OD 32 oC
2.4 lm thickness. Next the epitaxial layer is patterned over
the oxide cavities, in SF6 plasma, so as to leave a suspended 37 oC
diaphragm over a sealed cavity on the substrate wafer and 7.5 42 oC
Capacitance (pF)

reveal the openings for the contacts to the fixed electrode.

47 oC
Finally aluminium deposition and patterning of the con-
tacts to the diaphragm and the fixed electrode completes 7.0
the device.
When a pressure sensor is to be fabricated a thin insulat- 6.5
ing film (e.g. SiO2) is grown prior to bonding to prevent
shortening of the two electrodes when they come into con-
6.0
tact. On the other hand a pressure switch may be fabricated
with the same process. In this case no SiO2 insulating film is
0 100 200 300 400
grown. In Fig. 2 a photograph of a fully processed silicon
Pressure (mmHg)
die containing eight pressure switches with diaphragm
diameter sizes ranging from 90 up to 150 lm is depicted. Fig. 4. Response of a circular capacitive type pressure sensor.
 S. Chatzandroulis et al. / Microelectronic Engineering 83 (2006) 1209–1211 1211

16.0M
6.0 32 oC
Rectangular Sensor 375um 14.0M 120um OD

Resistance (Ohms)
37 oC
5.5 12.0M
10.0M
Capacitance (pF)

o
42 C
5.0 8.0M
47 oC
6.0M
4.5
4.0M
2.0M
4.0
0.0
3.5 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Pressure (bar)
3.0
0 100 200 300 400 Fig. 7. Resistance of a switch with 120 lm diameter vs pressure.
Pressure (mmHg)

Fig. 5. Response of a rectangular capacitive type pressure sensor.
offset (TCO) of a 900 ppm/C for the circular sensor and
513 ppm/C for the rectangular of about the same size is
measured.
In the case of pressure switches the value of pressure at
which the flexible electrode will touch the fixed one is of
interest. At this point a current flows between the two elec-
trodes if a bias voltage is applied across the switch. Each
die included eight different switches with different switching
thresholds. To evaluate switch performance the current
flowing through the device when a bias voltage is applied
across the switch was recorded. In Fig. 6 the current is plot-
ted against pressure for four different switches with diame-
ters of 110, 120, 130 and 150 lm, while in Fig. 7 the
resistance of a 120 lm OD against pressure is plotted.
The current flowing through the switch jumps over six
orders of magnitude when the flexible moving part touches
the other electrode at a well defined pressure threshold. The
devices operate in the 3 to 8 bar pressure range and thus are
suitable for use in a number of industrial and automotive
applications. In one such application a pressure switch is
used to ensure that the pressure in truck tires remains
above 5 bar at which point it switches and the accompany-
ing electronic interface alerts the driver.
4. Conclusions
A process for the fabrication of single crystal silicon
pressure sensors and pressure switches has been presented.
The process relies on the silicon fusion bonding of two sil-
icon wafers to seal the sensor cavity and construct the
device. Pressure sensors operating in the medical pressure
regime (0–300 mmHg) with sensitivity to pressure of
1.5 fF/mmHg have successfully been fabricated. The sensi-
tivity of the devices is suitable for use with recently devel-
oped capacitive sensor electronic interfaces [9,10].
Pressure switches operating in a pressure range useful for
industrial and automotive applications (up to 8 bar) have
also been fabricated and tested.
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