CMOS-compatible surface-micromachined pressure sensor for aqueous ultrasonic application

A surface micromachined pressure sensor array is under development at the Integrated Micromechanics, Microsensors, and CMOS Technologies organization at Sandia National Laboratories. This array is designed to sense absolute pressures from ambient pressure to 650 psia with frequency responses from DC to 2 MHz. The sensor is based upon a sealed, deformable, circular LPCVD silicon nitride diaphragm. Absolute pressure is determined from diaphragm deflection, which is sensed with low-stress, micromechanical, LPCVD polysilicon piezoresistors. All materials and processes used for sensor fabrication are CMOS compatible, and are part of Sandia`s ongoing effort of CMOS integration with Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS). Test results of individual sensors are presented along with process issues involving the release etch and metal step coverage.