• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.274-274
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• 2008

This paper describes on the fabrication and characteristics of a 3C-SiC (Silicon Carbide) micro pressure sensor for harsh environment applications. The implemented micro pressure sensor used 3C-SiC thin-films heteroepitaxially grown on SOI (Si-on-insulator) structures. This sensor takes advantages of the good mechanical properties of Si as diaphragms fabricated by D-RIE technology and temperature properties of 3C-SiC piezoresistors. The fabricated pressure sensors were tasted at temperature up to $250^{\circ}C$ and indicated a sensitivity of 0.46 mV/V*bar at room temperature and 0.28 mV/V*bar at $250^{\circ}C$. The fabricated 3C-SiC/SOI pressure sensor presents a high-sensitivity and excellent temperature stability.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1994.07b
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• pp.1422-1424
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• 1994

This paper deals with piezoresistive humidity sensor using polycrystalline silicon (Poly-Si ) with membrane in sensors of semiconductor. Poly-Si piezoresistors which have no temperature dependancy are deposited on silicon wafer, membrane is formed with micromachining technology, then polyimide is formed as a hygroscopic layer. Whereas the principle of conventional humidify sensors are based on the change in electrical properties of the material, the humidity induced volume change of a polyimide layer leads to a deformation of a silicon membrane in this case. This deformation is transformed into an output voltage by Poly-Si piezoresistive. Wheatstone bridge. Fabricated piezoresistive humidity sensors showed good linearity, response time, and long term stability.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.191-199
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• 2002

This paper presents the design concept, theoretical investigation, and fabrication of a six-degree of freedom (6-DOF) turbulent flow micro sensor utilizing the piezoresistive effect in silicon. Unlike other flow sensors, which typically measure just one component of wall shear stress, the proposed sensor can independently detect six components of force and moment on a test particle in a turbulent flow. By combining conventional and four-terminal piezoresistors in Si (111), and arranging them suitably on the sensing area, the total number of piezoresistors used in this sensing chip is only eighteen, much fewer than the forty eight piezoresistors of the prior art piezoresistive 6-DOF force sensor.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2004

A pressure sensor for high temperature was fabricated by using a SDB(Silicon-Direct-Bonding) wafer with a Si/$SiO_{2}$/ Si structure. High pressure sensitivity was shown from the sensor using a single crystal silicon of the first layer as a piezoresistive layer. It also was made feasible to use under the high temperature as of over $120^{\circ}C$, which is generally known as the critical temperature for the general silicon sensor, by isolating the piezoresistive layer dielectrically and thermally from the silicon substrate with a silicon dioxide layer of the second layer. The pressure sensor fabricated in this research showed very high sensitivity as of $183.6{\mu}V/V{\cdot}kPa$, and its characteristics also showed an excellent linearity with low hysteresis. This sensor was usable up to the high temperature range of $300^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2005

In this paper, the fabrication process of Si pressure sensors utilizing piezoresistive effect was optimized. The efficiency(yield) of the fabrication process for Si piezoresistive pressure sensors was improved by conducting Si anisotrophic etching process after processes of piezoresistors and AI circuit patterns. The position and process parameters for piezoresistors were determined by ANSYS and SUPREM simulators, respectively. The measured thickness of p-type Si piezoresistors from the boron depth-profile measurement was in good agreement with the simulated one from SUPREM simulation. The Si anisotrohic etching process for diaphragm was optimized by adding ammonium persulfate(AP) to tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.9-14
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• 2004

In this study, Si anisotropic etching characteristics of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)/ ammonium persulfate(AP)/isopropyl alcohol(IPA) solutions were investigated to realize the optimum structure of a diaphragm for the piezoresistive pressure sensor application. Due to its low toxicity and its high compatibility with the CMOS processing, TMAH was used as Si anisotropic etchants. The variations of Si etch rate on the etching temperature, TMAH concentration, and etching time were obtained. With increasing the etching temperature and decreasing TMAH concentrations, the Si etch rate is increased while a significant non-unifonnity exists on the etched surface because of formation of hillocks on the (100) surface. The addition of IPA to TMAH solution leads to smoother etched surfaces but, makes the Si etch rate lower. However, with the addition of AP to TMAH solution, the Si etch rate is increased and an improvement in flatness on the etching front is observed. The Si etch rate is also maximized with increasing the number of addition of AP to TMAH solution per one hour. The Si square membranes of 20${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ thickness and l00-400${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ one-side length were fabricated successfully by applying optimum Si etching conditions of TMAH/AP solutions.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.19-22
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• 2003

In this paper, Si anisotropic etching characteristics of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)/ammonium persulfate (AP) solutions were investigated to realize the optimum structure of a diaphragm for the piezoresistive pressure sensor application. Due to its low toxicity and its high compatibility with the CMOS processing, TMAH was used as Si anisotropic etchants. The variations of Si etch rate on the etching temperature, TMAH concentration, and etching time were obtained. With increasing the etching temperature and decreasing TMAH concentrations, the Si etch rate is increased while a significant non-uniformity exists on the etched surface because of formation of hillocks on the <100> surface. With the addition of AP to TMAH solution, the Si etch rate is increased and an improvement in flatness on the etching front is observed. The Si etch rate is also maximized with increasing the number of addition of AP to TMAH solution per one hour. The Si square diaphragms of 20$\mu\textrm{m}$ thickness and 100-400 $\mu\textrm{m}$ one-side length were fabricated successfully by adding AP of (5/6)g to 800 ml TMAH solution every 10 minutes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.07a
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• pp.416-417
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• 2005

In this study, we optimized the process of Si anisotropy etching by combing tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) etching process with ultrasonic wave technology. New ultrasonic TMAH etching apparatus was developed and it was used for fabricating a $20{\mu}m$ thick diaphragm for Si piezoresistive pressure sensors. Based on comparison study on etch rate and surface flatness, it was observed that the Si anisotropy etching methode with new ultrasonic TMAH etching apparatus (at 40 kHz/ 500 watt) was superior to conventional etching methods with TMAH or TMAH+ammonium persulfate(AP) solutions.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 2005

This paper present characteristics of chromium oxide thin-film as piezoresistive sensors, which were deposited on Si substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in an argon-Oxide atmosphere for high temperature applications. The chemical composition, physical and electrical properties and thermal stability ranges of the $CrO_{x}$ sensing elements have studied. $CrO_{x}$ thin films with a linear gauge factor(GF${\fallingdotseq}$15), high electrical resistivity (${\rho}$ = $340{\mu}{\Omega}cm$) and TCR<-55 ppm/$^{\circ}C$ have been obtained. These $CrO_{x}$ thin films may allow high temperature pressure sensor miniaturization to be achieved.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.215-220
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• 2012

Miniature ultrasonic and tactile sensors on Si substrate have been proposed, fabricated and characterized to detect objects for a dexterous robot. The ultrasonic sensor consists of piezoelectric PZT thin film on a Pt/Ti/$SiO_2$ and/or Si diaphragm fabricated using a micromachining technique; the ultrasonic sensor detects the piezoelectric voltage as an ultrasonic wave. The sensitivity has been enhanced by improving the device structure, and the resonant frequency in the array sensor has been equalized. Position detection has been carried out by using a sensor array with high sensitivity and uniform resonant frequency. The tactile sensor consists of four or three warped cantilevers which have NiCr or $Si:B^+$ piezoresistive layer for stress detection. Normal and shear stresses can be estimated by calculation using resistance changes of the piezoresitive layers on the cantilevers. Gripping state has been identified by using the tactile sensor which is installed on finger of a robot hand, and friction of objects has been measured by slipping the sensor.