MEMS Pressure Sensors- An Overview of Challenges in Technology and Packaging

Pressure sensors are required in all walks of life, irrespective of civilian, defense, aerospace, biomedical, automobile, Oceanography or domestic applications. Naturally, rapid progress has been made in micromachined pressure sensors and the microsystems using these sensors. Starting with metal strain gauges and moving forward with silicon based pressure sensors with flat diaphragms, the search for devices which can operate in harsh environments involving corrosive fluids and high temperatures has spurred activities which lead to pressure sensors using harder materials such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Carbon Nano Tubes (CNT). The present article provides an overview of these pressure sensors including their design, engineering, technology and packaging challenges. ) 2 39-71, March 2013. Available online at www.isssonline.in/journal/02paper05.pdf