Pressure sensor, microphone, ultrasonic sensor, blood pressure sensor, and touch panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829398-B2
Application number	US-201514721497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a pressure sensor includes a substrate, a support part, a flexible membrane part, and a magnetoresistive element. The support part is adhered on the substrate by using a first adhesive material with a first Young's modulus and a second adhesive material with a second Young's modulus different from the first Young's modulus. The membrane part is supported by the support part. The magnetoresistive element is provided on the membrane part, and includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure sensor comprising:
a membrane comprising a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge including a first edge portion, a second edge portion, a third edge portion and a fourth edge portion, the first edge portion being opposed to the second edge portion, the third edge portion being opposed to the fourth edge portion;
a support member supporting a part of the peripheral edge of the membrane;
a first adhesive member comprising a first adhesive material with a first Young's modulus;
a second adhesive member comprising the first adhesive material, the first adhesive member and the second adhesive member being arranged in a first direction;
a third adhesive member comprising a second adhesive material with a second Young's modulus;
a fourth adhesive member comprising the second adhesive material, the third adhesive member and the fourth adhesive member being arranged in a second direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction;
a substrate, the first adhesive member being provided between the first edge portion and the substrate, the second adhesive member being provided between the second edge portion and the substrate, the third adhesive member being provided between the third edge portion and the substrate, the fourth adhesive member being provided between the fourth edge portion and the substrate; and
a magnetoresistive element provided on the membrane part, the magnetoresistive element including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

2. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the first edge portion and the second edge portion is shorter than a length of the third edge portion and the fourth edge portion, respectively, and the second Young's modulus is lower than the first Young's modulus.

3. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetoresistive element is provided on the third edge portion.

4. The sensor according to claim 3 , comprising a plurality of magnetoresistive elements provided on the third edge portion.

5. A pressure sensor comprising:
a membrane comprising a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge including a first edge portion, a second edge portion, a third edge portion and a fourth edge portion, the first edge portion being opposed to the second edge portion, the third edge portion being opposed to the fourth edge portion;
a support member supporting a part of the peripheral edge of the membrane;
a first adhesive member comprising a first adhesive material with a first coefficient of thermal expansion;
a second adhesive member comprising the first adhesive material, the first adhesive member and the second adhesive member being arranged in a first direction;
a third adhesive member comprising a second adhesive material with a second coefficient of thermal expansion;
a fourth adhesive member comprising the second adhesive material, the third adhesive member and the fourth adhesive member being arranged in a second direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction;
a substrate, the first adhesive member being provided between the first edge portion and the substrate, the second adhesive member being provided between the second edge portion and the substrate, the third adhesive member being provided between the third edge portion and the substrate, the fourth adhesive member being provided between the fourth edge portion and the substrate; and
a magnetoresistive element provided on the membrane, the magnetoresistive element including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

6. The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein a length of the first edge portion and the second edge portion is shorter than a length of the third edge portion and the fourth edge portion, respectively, and the second coefficient of thermal expansion is lower than the first coefficient of thermal expansion.

7. The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the magnetoresistive element is provided on the third edge portion.

8. The sensor according to claim 7 , comprising a plurality of magnetoresistive elements provided on the third edge portion.

9. A pressure sensor comprising:
a membrane comprising a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge including a first edge portion, a second edge portion, a third edge portion and a fourth edge portion, the first edge portion being opposed to the second edge portion, the third edge portion being opposed to the fourth edge portion;
a support member supporting a part of the peripheral edge of the membrane;
a first adhesive member and a second adhesive member comprising a first adhesive material, the first adhesive member and the second adhesive member being arranged in a first direction;
a third adhesive member and a fourth adhesive member comprising a second adhesive material, the third adhesive member and the fourth adhesive member being arranged in a second direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction;
a substrate, the first adhesive member being provided between the first edge portion and the substrate, the second adhesive member being provided between the second edge portion and the substrate, the third adhesive member being provided between the third edge portion and the substrate, the fourth adhesive member being provided between the fourth edge portion and the substrate; and
a magnetoresistive element provided on the membrane, the magnetoresistive element including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

10. The sensor according to claim 9 , wherein a length of the first edge portion and the second edge portion is shorter than a length of the third edge portion and the fourth edge portion, respectively, and the magnetoresistive element is provided on the third edge portion.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Masunishi Kei
• Fukuzawa Hideaki
• Fuji Yoshihiko
• Yuzawa Akiko
• Okamoto Kazuaki

Classifications

• A61B5/6898

  Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers · CPC title

• G01L9/007

  using variations in inductance · CPC title

• A61B2562/028

  Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS] · CPC title

• A61B5/7475

  User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick · CPC title

• A61B5/02141 Primary

  Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits (A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence) · CPC title