Sensor and/or sound detection device and manufacturing method for a sensor and/or sound detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684185-B2
Application number	US-201816016131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 23, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A sensor and/or sound detection device having a sensing device having a sensitive surface, an access channel being designed in such a way that air and/or a gas is transferable through the open access channel between a spatial surroundings of the sensor/detection device and the sensitive surface, and an at least partially water-impermeable membrane having respectively an inner side of the membrane facing the associated access channel being designed in such a way that a contact surface on the respective inner side of the respective membrane is pressed against an associated membrane contact surface on the associated access channel in such a way that the associated access channel is sealed in a liquid-tight manner when an outer side of the respective membrane or a covering layer on the respective outer side of the membrane is wetted with at least a minimum quantity of liquid and the respective membrane is deformed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor and/or sound detection device, comprising:
a sensing device having a sensitive surface, which is designed in such a way that a change of at least one of: (i) at least one physical variable, and (ii) at least one chemical concentration, causes a change in a sensor signal one of: (i) output by the sensing device, or (ii) tapped on the sensing device;
an access channel in the sensor and/or sound detection device designed in such a way that, at least as long as the access channel is open, at least one of: (i) air, and (ii) at least one gas, is transferable through the access channel between a spatial surroundings of the sensor and/or sound detection device and the sensitive surface; and
an at least partially water-impermeable membrane having an inner side facing the access channel, a contact surface on the inner side of the membrane being pressed against the membrane contact surface on the access channel in such a way that the associated access channel is sealed in a liquid-tight manner when one of: (i) an outer side of the membrane, or (ii) a covering layer on the outer side of the membrane, is wetted with at least a minimum quantity of liquid and the respective membrane is deformed.

2. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the membrane is designed in such a way that, if the one of the outer side of the membrane or the covering layer is unwetted, the membrane is in its initial position and the access channel is kept open via at least one open gap between the contact surface of the membrane in its initial position and the membrane contact surface on the access channel.

3. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the membrane has at least one of an air and a gas exchange opening extending from the inner side of the membrane to the outer side of the membrane.

4. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the contact surface rests on a water-impermeable sealing ring that is developed on the inner side of the membrane and that frames the at least one of the air and the gas exchange opening, and wherein the sealing ring is pressed against the membrane contact surface when the outer side of the membrane or the covering layer is wetted with at least the minimum quantity of liquid and the membrane is deformed.

5. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the membrane contact surface rests on an annular projection, against which the contact surface, which frames its at least one of air and gas exchange opening, is pressed when the outer side of the membrane or covering layer is wetted with at least the minimum quantity of liquid and the respective membrane is deformed.

6. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the covering layer is permeable to the at least one of the air and the at least one gas, and covers the at least one air and the gas exchange opening of the membrane.

7. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the covering layer is water-repellent.

8. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensing device is developed at least one of on and in a sensor substrate, the membrane being developed on an outer side of a cap substrate and spanning at least an outer-side edge region of a channel extending from the outer side to an inner side of the cap substrate facing away from the outer side, and the cap substrate being connected to the sensor substrate via an air-impermeable and water-impermeable connecting mass in such a way that at least one inner-side edge region of the channel and the sensitive surface border on an intermediate volume enclosed by the cap substrate, the sensor substrate and the air-impermeable and water-impermeable connecting mass and the access channel runs at least through the intermediate volume and the channel.

9. The sensor and/or sound detection device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor and/or sound detection device is at least one of: a pressure sensor, a chemical detection sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas sensor, and a microphone.

10. A manufacturing method for a sensor and/or sound detection device, comprising:
developing a sensing device having a sensitive surface in such a way that a change of at least one of: (i) at least one physical variable, and (ii) at least one chemical concentration, on the sensitive surface causes a change in a sensor signal one of (i) output by the sensing device, or (ii) tapped on the sensing device; and
developing at least one access channel in the sensor and/or sound detection device in such a way that, at least as long as the at least one access channel is open, at least one of (i) air, and (ii) at least one gas, is transferred through the at least one access channel between a spatial surroundings of the sensor and/or sound detection device and the sensitive surface; and
developing at least one at least partially water-impermeable membrane having respectively an inner side facing the at least one associated access channel in such a way that at least one contact surface on the respective inner side of the respective membrane is pressed against at least one associated membrane contact surface on the at least one associated access channel in such a way that the at least one associated access channel is sealed in a liquid-tight manner when one of: (i) an outer side of the respective membrane, or (ii) a covering layer situated on the outer side, is wetted with at least a minimum quantity of liquid and the respective membrane is deformed.

11. The manufacturing method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the sensing device is developed multiple times at least one of on and in a sensor wafer, the sensor wafer being divided into at least one sensor substrate including the sensing device and the sensitive surface, the at least one membrane being developed multiple times on an outer side of a cap wafer with continuous channels, the cap wafer being divided into at least one cap substrate having the at least one membrane on an outer side of the cap substrate, which spans respectively at least one outer-side edge region of at least one channel extending from the outer side to an inner side of the cap substrate facing away from the outer side, and the cap substrate being connected to the sensor substrate via an air-impermeable and water-impermeable connecting mass in such a way that at least one inner-side edge region of the at least one channel and the sensitive surface border on an intermediate volume enclosed by the cap substrate, the sensor substrate and the air-impermeable and water-impermeable connecting mass and that the at least one access channel runs at least through the intermediate volume and the at least one channel.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Haug Daniel
• Hoefer Holger
• Reinmuth Jochen
• Knauss Michael
• Schuler-Watkins Sebastian

Classifications

• G01L19/0645 Primary

  using isolation membranes, specially adapted for protection · CPC title

• G01L19/0654

  against moisture or humidity · CPC title

• G01L9/0041

  Transmitting or indicating the displacement of flexible diaphragms · CPC title