Optimized Design of Double Diaphragm Based MEMS Pressure Sensor for Wider Range and Better Sensitivity
Suja K. J.1, Vidya Gopal T. V.2, Rama Komaragiri3

1Suja K J, Electronics and Communication Engineering Department , NIT Calicut, Kerala, India.
2Rama Komaragiri, Electronics and Communication Engineering Department , NIT Calicut, Kerala, India.
3Vidya Gopal T V, Electronics Department, Mar Athanasius College of Engineering , Kothamangalam ,Kerala, India.

Manuscript received on November 11, 2013. | Revised Manuscript received on November 15, 2013. | Manuscript published on November 25, 2013. | PP: 65-70 | Volume-2 Issue-1, November 2013. | Retrieval Number: A0583112113/2013©BEIESP

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© The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: Microelectromechanical system based silicon pressure sensors have undergone a significant growth in the last few years. The sensitivity, maximum measurable pressure and linear range of pressure sensors highly depend upon the diaphragm structure. In this work, single and double diaphragm based pressure sensors are designed and simulated and these can be used for high pressure measurements. A novel method of sensitivity enhancement by optimizing the thickness of double diaphragms is presented in this work. Also a study of the bulk micromachined silicon piezoresistive pressure sensor and surface micromachined stacked diaphragm pressure sensor are presented, simulated and compared with respect to deflection and sensitivity. Microelectromechanical system pressure sensors have been simulated with different diaphragm structures for obtaining wider operation range with better sensitivity. The performance of silicon and silicon on insulator pressure sensors at a given pressure are compared. The doping concentration of the piezoresistor is varied from 1015 cm-3 to 1020cm-3 and the sensitivity of pressure sensors are compared. Evaluating different structures of pressure sensors and optimizing doping concentrations as 1017cm-3, the double SOI sensor shows better pressure sensitivity.
Keywords: MEMS, Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor, Surface micromachining, Bulk micro machining, Sensitivity