Capacitive humidity sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9594041-B2
Application number	US-201414188019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a capacitive humidity sensor. The capacitive humidity sensor includes an upper electrode disposed on a first plane, a plurality of first electrodes included in the upper electrode, a plurality of second electrodes disposed between the first electrodes, and a humidity sensitive layer surrounding the second electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A capacitive humidity sensor, comprising:
an upper electrode disposed on a first plane comprising
first electrodes;
discrete second electrodes disposed on the first plane and between each of a pair of adjacent first electrodes; and
a humidity sensitive layer disposed between each of a pair of adjacent second electrodes.

2. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first electrodes are connected to each other on the first plane and the second electrodes are not connected to each other on the first plane.

3. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 1 , wherein the humidity sensitive layer is filled in a groove disposed deeper than a bottom surface of the upper electrode.

4. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a pad region including a first pad connected to the first electrodes and a second pad connected to the second electrode.

5. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 1 , further comprising two or more second electrodes, and a dummy electrode that extends from at least one of the first electrodes and positioned between two adjacent second electrodes.

6. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 1 , wherein an electrode protection layer is disposed on an upper surface of the upper electrode.

7. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 6 , wherein the upper surface of the upper electrode has a curved shape.

8. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a lower electrode disposed on a second plane below the first plane, wherein the lower electrode connects to the second electrodes without connecting to the first electrodes.

9. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 8 , further comprising a first via connecting at least one of the second electrodes and the lower electrode.

10. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 9 , further comprising a second via that connects to at least one of the first electrodes.

11. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 10 , wherein a depth of the first via is different from a depth of the second via.

12. A capacitive humidity sensor, comprising:
an upper interconnection comprising first electrodes and second electrodes disposed on a first plane;
a lower interconnection disposed on a second plane;
a lower electrode included in the lower interconnection and connected to the second electrodes; and
a humidity sensitive layer surrounding the second electrodes,
wherein the first electrodes are connected to each other on the first plane, and not connected to each other on the second plane, and
wherein the second electrodes are not connected to each other on the first plane, and connected to each other on the second plane.

13. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 12 , wherein a depth of the humidity sensitive layer is deeper than a depth of the first plane.

14. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 12 , wherein upper surfaces of the first electrode and the second electrode are curved surfaces.

15. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 12 , wherein the depth of the humidity sensitive layer is positioned between the first plane and the second plane.

16. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 12 , wherein the lower electrode connects to the second electrodes without connecting to the first electrodes.

17. A capacitive humidity sensor, comprising:
an upper electrode disposed on a first plane and comprising two or more first electrodes disposed parallel to each other;
second electrodes disposed between two adjacent first electrodes and forming a row of discrete second electrodes between two adjacent first electrodes in the first plane;
a humidity sensitive layer disposed between each of a pair of adjacent second electrodes and between the row of second electrodes and the two adjacent first electrodes.

18. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of dummy electrodes protruding from the two adjacent first electrodes to be disposed between two adjacent second electrodes of the row of second electrodes.

19. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 17 , further comprising:
a lower electrode disposed on a second plane below the first plane; and
vias connecting the second electrodes and the lower electrode.

20. The capacitive humidity sensor of claim 17 further comprising a lower electrode disposed on a second plane below the first plane, wherein the lower electrode connects to the second electrodes without connecting to the first electrodes.

Assignees

• Magnachip Semiconductor Ltd

Inventors

• Koo Sang Geun
• Kim Kwan Soo

Classifications

• G01N27/223 Primary

  for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity (rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825) · CPC title

• H01G7/00

  Capacitors in which the capacitance is varied by non-mechanical means; Processes of their manufacture · CPC title

• G01R27/26

  Measuring inductance or capacitance; Measuring quality factor, e.g. by using the resonance method; Measuring loss factor; Measuring dielectric constants {; Measuring impedance or related variables} · CPC title

• G01N27/22 Primary

  by investigating capacitance · CPC title

• G01N27/225 Primary

  by using hygroscopic materials · CPC title