Load sensor using vertical transistor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9658121-B2
Application number	US-201414913067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Aug 22, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A load sensor is constituted by a rib and a vertical transistor including an organic semiconductor film, and a load measurement can be executed based on a change of a gap between a drain electrode and a source electrode which is a channel length of the vertical transistor. Therefore, a change of a current Ids is in a linear relationship to a load applied to the load sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A load sensor using a vertical transistor, comprising:
a substrate including a surface that is an insulator;
a rib arranged on the substrate, the rib including a surface including a side surface and a top surface, the surface that is an insulator, the rib being made of a material different from a material of the substrate and the rib having a Young's modulus smaller than that of the substrate;
a transistor including a gate electrode that is arranged on the side surface of the rib, a gate insulating film, and a semiconductor film;
a bottom electrode layer arranged on a bottom surface of a recession and being in contact with the semiconductor film, the recession that is a part of the substrate where the rib is arranged; and
a top electrode layer arranged on a top surface of a protrusion and being in contact with the semiconductor film, the protrusion that is a part of the substrate where the rib is not arranged, wherein
when a gate voltage is applied to the gate electrode, a channel area is generated in the semiconductor film, and a current flows between the bottom electrode layer and the top electrode layer, and
when a load is applied to the protrusion, a length of the semiconductor film is changed in a direction parallel to a height of the rib according to a deformation of the rib, and the transistor executes a load measurement based on a change of the current.

2. The load sensor using the vertical transistor according to claim 1 , wherein
the side surface of the rib where the gate electrode is arranged is perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, a surface of the rib that is different from the side surface of the rib is tapered, and
the top electrode layer extends from the top surface of the rib to the surface of the rib and to a part of the substrate where the rib is not arranged.

3. A load sensor using a vertical transistor, comprising:
a substrate including a surface that is an insulator;
a rib arranged on the substrate, the rib including a surface including a side surface and a top surface, the surface that is an insulator, the rib being made of a material different from a material of the substrate, the top surface of the rib being a quadrangle or a triangle;
a transistor including a gate electrode that is arranged on the side surface of the rib, a gate insulating film, and a semiconductor film;
a bottom electrode layer arranged on a bottom surface of a recession and being in contact with the semiconductor film, the recession that is a part of the substrate where the rib is arranged; and
a top electrode layer arranged on a top surface of a protrusion and being in contact with the semiconductor film, the protrusion that is a part of the substrate where the rib is not arranged, wherein
when a gate voltage is applied to the gate electrode, a channel area is generated in the semiconductor film, and a current flows between the bottom electrode layer and the top electrode layer, and
when a load is applied to the protrusion, a length of the semiconductor film is changed in a direction parallel to a height of the rib according to a deformation of the rib, and the transistor executes a load measurement based on a change of the current.

4. The load sensor using the vertical transistor according to claim 3 , wherein
the side surface of the rib where the gate electrode is arranged is perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, a surface of the rib that is different from the side surface of the rib is tapered, and
the top electrode layer extends from the top surface of the rib to the surface of the rib and to a part of the substrate where the rib is not arranged.

5. A load sensor using a vertical transistor, comprising:
a substrate including a surface that is an insulator;
a rib arranged on the substrate, the rib including a surface including a side surface and a top surface, the surface that is an insulator, the rib being made of a material that a change rate of the height of the rib is smaller than or equal to 7% in a case where a maximum load considered as the measurement subject is applied to the rib, the material of the rib being different from a material of the substrate;
a transistor including a gate electrode that is arranged on the side surface of the rib, a gate insulating film, and a semiconductor film;
a bottom electrode layer arranged on a bottom surface of a recession and being in contact with the semiconductor film, the recession that is a part of the substrate where the rib is arranged; and
a top electrode layer arranged on a top surface of a protrusion and being in contact with the semiconductor film, the protrusion that is a part of the substrate where the rib is not arranged, wherein
when a gate voltage is applied to the gate electrode, a channel area is generated in the semiconductor film, and a current flows between the bottom electrode layer and the top electrode layer, and
when a load is applied to the protrusion, a length of the semiconductor film is changed in a direction parallel to a height of the rib according to a deformation of the rib, and the transistor executes a load measurement based on a change of the current.

6. The load sensor using the vertical transistor according to claim 5 , wherein
the side surface of the rib where the gate electrode is arranged is perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, a surface of the rib that is different from the side surface of the rib is tapered, and
the top electrode layer extends from the top surface of the rib to the surface of the rib and to a part of the substrate where the rib is not arranged.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Inoue Takashi
• Hata Kensuke
• Katoh Tetsuya
• Sakai Kenichi
• Uno Mayumi
• Takeya Junichi

Classifications

• H01L51/057

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01L1/2293 Primary

  of the semi-conductor type · CPC title

• G01L1/18 Primary

  using properties of piezo-resistive materials, i.e. materials of which the ohmic resistance varies according to changes in magnitude or direction of force applied to the material · CPC title

• H10D62/86

  being Group II-VI materials, e.g. ZnO · CPC title

• H10D48/50

  Devices controlled by mechanical forces, e.g. pressure · CPC title