Piezoresistors in a Thin Si Membrane

• Piezoresistor isolated from Si substrate by p-n junction

• Current jz = 0 due to p-n junction; σz = 0 and τi = 0 due to thin layer thickness

σt
σl
∆𝑅 ∆𝜌
𝜎𝜋 𝜎𝜋
𝑅 𝜌

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p-Type and n-Type Piezoresistors

• For p-type piezoresistor: 𝜋44 dominates for p-type Si

1 1
𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 Δ𝑅 𝜋
For <110>: 2 2
1 𝜎 𝜎
1 𝜋 𝜋 𝑅 2
𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 2
2
• However, for n-type (100) silicon wafer:
Δ𝑅 1 𝜋 𝜋
<100> direction: 𝜋 𝜎 𝜎 , 𝜋 𝜋
𝑅 2 1
Δ𝑅 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋
<110> direction: 𝜎 𝜎 2
𝑅 4 𝜋 0

<100> <110>
𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋
p-type 0 0 𝜋 /2 𝜋 /2
n-type 𝜋 𝜋 /2 𝜋 /4 𝜋 /4

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1
 Placement of Piezoresistors on a Diaphragm
• Computational analysis using finite element analysis (FEA) tools such as Comsol
Multiphysics® and Ansys® can be used to show the stress distribution on a square
diaphragm under applied pressure. Red areas are with the most stress.
• The maximum stress sites are located at the center of the anchor edge on each side
of the diaphragm.
• The piezoresistors should therefore be located near to the red areas to get the
largest resistive change.

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Piezoresistors on a Diaphragm
• On a diaphragm, piezoresistors experience both longitudinal and transverse
stress. The change in resistance is given as:

∆𝑅
𝜎𝜋 𝜎𝜋
𝑅

• When a resistor experiences longitudinal stress, it must simultaneously

experience a transverse stress, which is related to the longitudinal stress by the
Poisson’s ratio
𝜎 𝜈·𝜎
∆𝑅
𝜎𝜋 𝜎𝜋 𝜋 𝜈𝜋 𝜎
𝑅
• The symmetric diaphragm results in the same stress on the other side of the
diaphragm. Therefore it is helpful to place another resistor on the other side and
connect them in series to double the resistance change (and thus the sensitivity).

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2
 Piezoresistors on a Diaphragm
• The longitudinal and transverse piezoresistive coefficients for p-type silicon along
<110> direction are:

𝜋 71.8 10 𝑃𝑎 or
𝜋 66.3 10 𝑃𝑎 or

• The comparable values and opposite signs allow easy implementation of standard
Wheatstone bridge configuration for resistance readout, where two resistor values
increase with the applied pressure while the other two decrease.
𝑅 ,𝑅 : 𝜎 𝜎 , longitudinal dominant
𝑅 ,𝑅 : 𝜎 𝜎 , transverse dominant
σl σl
σt
σt
𝛥𝑅 𝜋 Positive term (resistance
σt σl 𝑅 ,𝑅 ⇒ 𝜎 𝜎
𝑅 2 increases) since 𝜎 𝜎
𝛥𝑅 𝜋
𝑅 ,𝑅 ⇒ 𝜎 𝜎 Negative term (resistance
𝑅 2 decreases) since 𝜎 𝜎

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Wheatstone Bridge Configuration of Piezoresistors

• With a deflection of the diaphragm under pressure, resistors R1 and R3 values would
increase, and R2 and R4 values would decrease.
• Wheatstone bridge configuration:

𝑉 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅
𝑉 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅

∆𝑅 ∆𝑅 ∆𝑅 ∆𝑅
• When the resistance values change: 𝛼 𝛼
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅
𝑅 =𝑅 1 𝛼 𝑅 𝑅 =𝑅 1 𝛼 𝑅

• The output voltage can be written as:

𝑉 𝛼 𝛼 𝑉 ∆𝑅
When 𝛼 𝛼 , 𝛼
𝑉 2 𝛼 𝛼 𝑉 𝑅
𝜋
𝜎 𝜎
2
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3
 More on Wheatstone Bridge Configuration
VS
VS
R2
R1 R2

R1 R3

R4 R3
R4

Distinct Advantages
• Converts the resistance change directly to a voltage signal for accurate
readout.
𝛥𝑅
• 𝑉 𝛥𝑉
𝑅
𝑉 R : the zero-stress resistance.

• Low temperature influences. Ideally with balanced bridge, resistance

changes equally due to temperature, so the output of bridge remains
zero.

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Sheet Resistance
• Resistivity in diffused layer is a function of depth. Sheet resistance, RS
is convenient to work with for diffused resistors. Unit: ohms per square.
(L/W): # of unit squares in the resistor.
 For a given diffusion profile, sheet resistance is uniquely related to the
surface concentration (NS) of the diffused layer and the background
substrate concentration of the wafer (NB); the latter affects the junction
depth or t.

𝐽 𝑞 𝜇 𝑛 𝜇 𝑝 𝐸 𝜎𝐸 𝐿 𝑉
1 1 𝑅 𝜌 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑊𝑡
𝜌
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝐼
𝜎 𝑞 𝜇 𝑛 𝜇 𝑝 𝜌 𝐿
𝑝 𝑛, 𝑝 𝑁 ⋅
𝑡 𝑊
1 𝐿 𝑉
𝜌 𝑅 ⋅
𝑞𝜇 𝑁 𝑊 𝐼
Rs = ρ/t = (V/I)/(L/W)
Rs: [Ω/□], sheet resistance

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4
 Sheet Resistance Measurement
• Four-point probe measurement configuration: the two inner probes sense voltage
difference caused by the current introduced to the thin film by the two outer probes
from a constant current source.
• The measurement is not affected by non-ohmic contact effects or other poor
contact problems as there is no current flowing through the inner probes.
I
V p-type

R t
V = IR n-type (Junction depth)

I l 𝑙 𝑉
w 𝑅 𝜌
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝐼
A B
𝜌 𝑙
⋅
C D 𝑡 𝑤
𝑙 𝑉
V 𝑅 ⋅
𝑤 𝐼
Rs: [Ω/□], sheet resistance
𝑅 / Rs = ρ/t

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Fabricated Pressure Sensors (Before Dicing)

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5
 Packaging

TO-99 metal-can
package

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Wire Bonding
Manual wire bonders

K&S 4500/4300 Manual Wire-Bonder

Mech-El 907 Ultrasonic wedge bonder

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6
 Pressure Sensor Packaging

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Pressure Sensor Packaging

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7
 Pressure Sensor Packaging

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Pressure Sensor Packaging

Motorola/Freescale/NXP MPX4### Series Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor

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8
 Pressure Sensor Packaging

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Packaged Devices in This Course

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9
 Pressure Sensor Specifications
1. Pressure range Calibrated & tested pressure range.
e.g. 1, 2, 5, 15, 30, 50, 100, 1000,
3000, 5000 psi, and so on.

2. Pressure sensitivity S = Normalized change in output signal per

unit change in applied pressure.
𝜕𝜃 1  is output signal,  is the output change due to
𝑆 ⋅
𝜕𝑝 𝜃 pressure change p
𝛥𝑉 1 𝛥𝑉 1
𝑆 ⋅ ⋅
𝛥𝑝 𝑉 𝑉 𝛥𝑝
𝛥𝑅 1 𝛥𝑅 1
(ex) + ⋅ ⋅ ΔV
𝑅 𝛥𝑝 𝛥𝑝 𝑅 150 mV

ΔV VS=5 (V)

p
- 0 15 psi
𝑆 150 𝑚𝑉 /5 𝑉 /15 𝑝𝑠𝑖 2.0 𝑚𝑉/𝑉/𝑝𝑠𝑖
or 150 𝑚𝑉 /15 𝑝𝑠𝑖 10 𝑚𝑉/𝑝𝑠𝑖
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Pressure Sensor Specifications

3. Offset: Device output voltage when a reference pressure is applied.
1) Initial offset

at atm: 14.6 𝑝𝑠𝑖

Δ𝑉 𝑚𝑉
𝑜𝑟 at vacumm, e.g. 3 10 3 𝑇𝑜𝑟𝑟

2) Compensated offset
adding resistances or using op amp.

output

pressure

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10
 Pressure Sensor Specifications
4. Span The device output signal over the pressure range.
(mV) (Full scale output minus offset).

5. Hysteresis

ΔV

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Pressure Sensor Specifications

6. Linearity How closely the output of a sensor approximates a straight line
when a linear pressure is applied. (0.1 - 1%)

1) Independent linearity (%)

Linear line is positioned so as to minimize the maximum deviation.

(i.e. minimize d1, d2, or d3)

Maximum deviation
ΔV
100%

d3

d1
d2
0%
p
0% 100%

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11
 Pressure Sensor Specifications
2) Terminal based linearity
ΔV
V3

V2
VL

V1
p
0% 100%

3) Zero-based linearity Minimize the maximum deviation, intersecting

at the minimum value.
ΔV
100%

d2

d1
0%
p
0% 100%
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Pressure Sensor Specifications

Linearity = (VL/(V3 – V1)) × 100
%FS
𝑉 : Non linearity 𝑚𝑉
𝑉 : Offset 𝑚𝑉 0 pressure reading
𝑉 : Half scale output, 𝑉 : Full scale output

7. Input impedance Impedance measured across the excitation terminals.

(Zin)

(ex)
2k

Zed Zin
4k 4k

Load impedance Impedance presented at the output terminal.

(Zed)

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12
 Pressure Sensor Specifications
8. Offset temperature coefficient
The error bound defined by the maximum deviation of the offset
voltage in the specified temperature range.

d d: Offset voltage deviation

1%

-1%
T
min Ref. temp max
(25°C)

Maximum Slope ± 0.04 % / °C

or ±1 % in Full Scale

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Example Measured Results

Hysteresis

14
12
10
V o ltag e (m V )

8
6
4
2
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Pressure (psi)

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13
 Example Measured Results
Pressure Vs. Resistance

2.182
R e s is t a n c e ( o h m )
2.18

2.178 R1
2.176 R3

2.174

2.172
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Pressure (psi)

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14