Abstract: A diaphragm (30) flexes in response to varying forces applied to the diaphragm (30). This motion is monitored by a transducer (31) that is preferably in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. When the diaphragm (30) is in a relaxed condition, with little or no force applied to the diaphragm, an offset voltage is generated by highly doped contact regions (35,36,37,38). At least one of these highly doped contact regions (35,36,37,38) is configured to have more squares of material which increases the resistance of that particular highly doped contact region (37).

Abstract: A sensing transducer (10,30) and a method therefor uses a Schottky junction (12) having a conductive layer (16) disposed on a semiconductor substrate (14). The conductive layer (16) is generally formed from the reaction of a metal with a portion of the semiconductor substrate (14). One example of the conductive layer (16) is a metal silicide layer. In one pressure sensing approach, a substantially constant reverse current (I.sub.1) is applied to the Schottky junction (12). The change in reverse output voltage of the junction (12) is proportional to the change in pressure on the junction (12) itself, and can thus be used to sense pressure. This output voltage change is significantly higher than that achieved with prior pressure transducers and permits the output signal of the transducer (10,30) according to the present invention to be substantially used without extra amplification or other conditioning.