Abstract: A square-shaped pressure sensor in which the four sides of the sensor have “stepped edge” features. The “stepped edge” features are formed using deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) techniques. The sensor comprises of a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, and a diaphragm positioned between the four sides. The first side has an outside face comprised of a first ledge and a second ledge; the second side has an outside face comprised of a third ledge and a fourth ledge, the third side has an outside face comprised of a fifth to ledge and a sixth ledge, and the fourth side has an outside face comprised of a seventh ledge and an eighth ledge. The eight ledges are the “stepped edge” features of the sensor.

Abstract: A pressure transducer that includes at least two sensors having substantially similar or substantially identical error characteristics, wherein each sensor is arranged to be subjected to an applied pressure and the outputs of the sensors are electrically coupled so that errors associated with one sensor are compensated by errors associated with the other sensor. The sensors may be substantially identical silicon sensors formed in close proximity on the same wafer.

Abstract: A silicon pressure sensor chip has a shear element on a sculptured diaphragm. The shear element is a piezo-resistive four-terminal resistor which is oriented so as to respond to the in-plane shear stress component in the diaphragm. The shear element is located on a thick shelf which is a portion of the sculptured diaphragm, which also has a thinner portion. This diaphragm configuration increases the bending moment at the location of the sensing element through the load of the thin portion of the diaphragm, which is suspended along the periphery of the thick shelf.

Abstract: A silicon pressure chip operates in a two-wire resistive mode. A thin-film resistor located on a long silicon beam which is the thicker portion of a thin diaphragm is partially shorted out by a metallized deflection stop. The pressure response of the resistor is determined by the resistor layout.