comparisons between membrane, bridge and cantilever miniaturized resistive vacuum gauges对比膜、桥梁和悬臂微型电阻真空计.pdfVIP

Sensors 2012, 12, 8770-8781; doi:10.3390/s120708770 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Article Comparisons between Membrane, Bridge and Cantilever Miniaturized Resistive Vacuum Gauges Kasun Gardiye Punchihewa, Evan Zaker, Rade Kuljic, Koushik Banerjee, Tatjana Dankovic, Alan Feinerman and Heinz Busta * Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA; E-Mails: kpunch2@ (K.G.P.); ezaker2@ (E.Z.); rkulji2@ (R.K.); kbaner2@ (K.B.); tdanko2@ (T.D.); feinerman@ (A.F.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: busta@; Tel.: +1-847-698-3757. Received: 16 May 2012; in revised form: 11 June 2012 / Accepted: 15 June 20 12 / Published: 27 June 2012 Abstract: Using bulk micromachining, meander-shaped resistor elements consisting of 20 nm Cr and 200 nm Au were fabricated on 1 µm thick silicon nitride membranes, bridges, and cantilevers. The resistance change as a function of pressure depends strongly on the thermal resistance of the two metal lines connecting the heated resistor to the silicon bulk (cold junction) and on the thermal resistance of the silicon nitride. Relative resistance changes ranging from about 3% (small membrane) to 20% (bridge) per mW of input power were obtained when operating the devices in constant voltage mode. The pressure where maximum sensitivity of these gauges occurs depends on the distance ‘d’ between the periphery of the heated resistor el