Semiconductor sensor

Abstract: A semiconductor sensor includes a field-effect transistor (2) for detecting a physical quantity such as pressure, strain, acceleration or the like. The field-effect transistor (2) is disposed on an an elastically deformable portion of a cantilevered semiconductor substrate. A detected signal generator (3) generates a signal representing a change in a drain current (1D) of the field-effect transistor (2) in response to a stress which is applied to the field-effect transistor due to elastic deformation of the semiconductor substrate. The field-effect transistor (2) may be supplied with a fixed gate bias voltage and an integrator (4) may generate a signal representing an integral of the drain current (1D) for temperature compensation. Alternatively, an integrator may generate a signal representing an integral of the drain current, and a gate bias voltage may be applied to the field-effect transistor so that the signal generated by the integrator will be of a predetermined value for automatic temperature compensation. As a further alternative, a self-bias circuit may be connected between the field-effect transistor and the detected signal generator for applying a gate self-bias voltage to the field-effect transistor for automatic temperature compensation.

Description: The invention relates to a semiconductor sensor detecting a physical quantity applied thereto, including a semiconductor substrate, a crystal layer formed on said semiconductor substrate and having a portion which is elastaically deformable under a physical quantity imposed thereon, a field-effect transistor disposed on said elastically deformable portion of said crystal layer, and a detected signal generator for generating a signal representing an output current of said field-effect transistor which changes in response to a stress which is applied to said field-effect transistor due to elastaic deformation of said crystal layer. A semiconductor sensor of this type is known from European Patent Application 8930866.6 (publication No. 0 363 005 A2) which has an older priority but was not previously published. There is known one type of semiconductor sensor which comprises a pressure-sensitive element in the form of an FET whose drain output varies when it is put under pressure, strain, or the like. The semiconductor sensor is associated with a temperature compensating circuit which compensates for a temperature-dependent change in the drain output. The temperature compensating circuit may comprise a temperature-detecting FET, and output signals from the pressure-detecting FET and the temperature-detecting FET may be compared with each other for temperature compensation. Such an arrangement, however, results in an increased semiconductor chip area of the semiconductor sensor. Japanese Patent Publication No. 1(1989)-59525 discloses a scheme for temperature compensation without use of a temperature-detecting FET. In the disclosed arrangement, the gate bias voltage of the pressure-detecting FET is set to a value which makes the temperature dependency on the VGS-IDS characteristic curve substantially null. The sensitivity of an FET for detecting a physical quantity applied thereto, i.e., a change in the drain output which is caused by a change in the physical quantity applied thereto, depends on the value of the drain output. If the gate bias current of the FET is set to a value that makes the temperature dependency substantially null, then a desired degree of detecting sensitivity may not be achieved. Different FET characteristics require different gate bias voltages and different drain outputs, necessitating adjustments of the circuit for applying the gate bias voltage and the circuit for amplifying output signals. The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor sensor for producing a temperature-compensated output signal, especially a semiconductor sensor which is capable of producing a temperature output signal for temperature compensation without employing a temperature-detecting FET and also without imposing limitations on bias conditions for an FET for detecting a physical quantity such as a pressure, a strain, or the like. According to the present invention, the semiconductor sensor of the above-described type is characterized by a gate voltage generator for controlling a gate bias voltage to be applied to said field-effect transistor so as to eliminate any difference between a signal based on an integral of said output of said field-effect transistor and a reference voltage Advantageous designs of the semiconductor sensor are described in the subclaims. When in the semiconductor sensor according to the present invention the field-effect transistor is subjected to stress, the output thereof varies, and the detected signal generator produces a signal indicative of the applied stress. The signal produced by the integrator serves as a temperature signal representative of a temperature change, exclusive of short-time changes in the drain signal. When the output of the FET varies due to a temperature change, the signal from the integrator also varies. Then, the biasing means regulates the gate bias voltage applied to the field-effect transistor in a manner to eliminate the temperature-dependent change in the output. Therefore, the signal from the detected signal generator is temperature-compensated. The gate bias voltage is automatically controlled to bring the output back to a predetermined level. The above and further objects, details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram, partly in block form, of a semiconductor sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the structure of a field-effect transistor in the semiconductor sensor shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a graph showing the voltage vs current characteristics of the field-effect transistor; Like or corresponding parts are denoted by like or corresponding reference characters throughout views. As shown in Fig. 1, the semiconductor sensor, generally denoted at 30, includes a field-effect transistor (FET) 2 for detecting a stress, a detected signal generator 3 for producing a voltage correspaonding to a drain current ID supplied from the FET 2 to the detected signal generator 3, and an integrator 4 for integrating the voltage generated by the detected signal generator 3 to produce a temperature signal. The FET 2 has a drain D connected to a power supply VDD. The detected signal generator 3 comprises a current-to-voltage (I-V) converter which includes an operational amplifier 3a and a resistor 3b connected parallel to the operational amplifier 3a. The source S of the FET 2 is connected to an inverting input terminal IN- of the operational amplifier 3a. The operational amplifier 3a has a noninverting input terminal IN+ connected to ground. Based on the potential difference being substantially zero between the input terminals IN-, IN+ of the operational amplifier 3a, the FET 2 is driven at a constant voltage. The integrator 4 comprises an operational amplifier 4c and a capacitor 4d connected parallel thereto, providing a feedback loop. The operational amplifier 4c has inverting and noninverting input terminals IN-, IN+ to which respective input resistors 4a, 4b are connected. The input resistor 4a is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier 3a of the detected signal generator 3. The input resistor 4b is grounded. The integrator 4 has an integral time constant which is of a value sufficiently longer than the time in which a physical quantity such as pressure, strain, or the like to be detected by the FET 2 is applied or varies. The integrator 4 may be in the form of a series-connected circuit of a resistor and a capacitor, so that a voltage across the charged capacitor is available as a temperature signal. The detected signal generator 3 may be in the form of a current amplifier with a resistor connected to its output terminal. The gate bias voltage VG applied to the FET 2 is supplied from a gate voltage generator 31 which comprises a comparator 32, a reference voltage generator 33, and the integrator 4. The comparator 32 has an output terminal connected to the gate G of the FET 2, an input terminal to the output terminal of the operational amplifier 4c of the integrator 4, and another input terminal connected to the reference voltage generator 33. The comparator 32 compares a reference voltage VR generated by the reference voltage generator 33 and an output voltage from the integrator 4, and controls the gate bias voltage VG in order to eliminate any difference between the compared voltages. If the drain current ID of the FET 2 is increased, for example, at a higher temperature to the extent that the output voltage from the integrator 4 becomes higher than the reference voltage VR from the reference voltage generator 33, then the comparator 32 increases the gate bias voltage VG depending on the difference between the compared voltages. The drain current ID is therefore reduced or brought back to a predetermined level. Since the drain current ID of the FET 2 is kept at the predetermined level even when the ambient temperature varies, the detected signal output terminal 3c produces a temperature-compensated output signal. FIG. 2 shows in perspective the structure of the FET 2. The FET 2 shown in FIG. 2 is of a cantilever configuration suitable for detecting pressure, strain, acceleration, or the like. A semiconductor substrate 21 of silicon (Si) is fixed at one end to a support. A crystal layer 22 of gallium arsenide (GaAs) is deposited on the semiconductor substrate 21 by way of epitaxial growth. The lower surface of the semiconductor substrate 21 is partly etched away providing a thinned portion A, and the FET 2 is formed on the crystal layer 22 above the thinned portion A of the semiconductor substrate 21. The FET 2 may comprise a junction FET (J-FET), a MES-FET, or a MIS-FET. With the semiconductor 21 fixed at one end to the support, when a pressure, a strain, or an acceleration is applied transversaly to the other end of the semiconductor substrate 21, the crystal layer 22 is bent in its region over the thinned portion A. When the crystal layer 22 is thus bent, a stress is applied to the FET 2 to vary the mutual conductance gm thereof. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the drain current ID and the drain-source voltage VDS of the FET 2. The graph of FIG. 3 has a horizontal axis representing the drain-source voltage VDS and a vertical axis representing the drain current ID. Solid-line characteristic curves A1, A2, A3 are plotted when the FET 2 is at normal temperature of 25°C. The characteristic curve A1 is plotted when no stress is applied to the FET 2. When the FET 2 is under a tensile stress, the drain current ID increases according to the curve A2 as the drain-source voltage VDS increases. When the FET 2 is under a compressive stress, the drain current ID decreases according to the curve A3 as the drain-source voltage VDS decreases. When the FET 2 is at a higher temperature of 50°C, the drain current ID varies according to a dotted-line curve B1 when no stress is applied, a dotted-line curve B2 when the FET 2 is under a tensile stress, and a dotted-line curve B3 when the FET 2 is under a compressive stress. Therefore, when a pressure, a strain, or an acceleration is imposed on the FET 2, the drain current ID varies to an extent commensurate with the direction and magnitude of the applied physical quantity. The change in the drain current ID is converted into a corresponding voltage by the detected signal generator 3. Thus, a voltage output signal corresponding to the detected stress is available from a detected signal output terminal 3c connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier 3a. The integral time constant of the integrator 4 is sufficiently long as described above. Therefore, the integrator 4 does not produce output signals corresponding to changes in a short period of time, but produces an output signal corresponding to a slow change in the drain current ID due to a change in the ambient temperature. Consequently, an output voltage corresponding to the temperature is available from a temperature output signal terminal 4e connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier 4c. Since the semiconductor sensor 1 can produce both a detected signal indicative of an applied stress and a temperature signal indicative of an ambient temperature, a control system to which the semiconductor sensor 1 is connected can compensate for a temperature-dependent error of the detected physical quantity. With the semiconductor sensor 1 shown in FIG. 1, the temperature signal is generated by integrating the output current from the FET 2. Therefore, the semiconductor sensor 1 does not require any dedicated temperature-detecting circuit or FET for temperature compensation of the detected output signal. Since the single FET 2 is used to detect the applied stress and the temperature, the detected output signal can accurately be temperature-compensated. The semiconductor sensor 1 can also be employed as a temperature sensor. In the semiconductor sensor 30 shown in FIG 1, the gate bias voltage of the FET 2 is regulated under feedback control in order to keep the drain current at a predetermined level, based on a change in the output current of the FET 2 which is caused by a change in the ambient temperature.

Claims: A semiconductor sensor (30) detecting a physical quantity applied thereto, including a semiconductor substrate (21), a crystal layer (22) formed on said semiconductor substrate (21) and having a portion which is elastically deformable under a physical quantity imposed thereon, a field-effect transistor (2) disposed on said elastically deformable portion of said crystal layer (22), and a detected signal generator (3) for generating a signal representing an output of said field-effect transistor (2) which changes in response to a stress which is applied to said field-effect transistor due to elastic deformation of said crystal layer (22), characterized by a gate voltage generator (31) for controlling a gate bias voltage (VG) to be applied to said field-effect transistor (2) so as to eliminate any difference between a signal based on an integral of said output of said field-effect transistor (2) and a reference voltage (VR). The semiconductor sensor as set forth in claim 1 characterized by a detected signal generator (3) for generating a signal representing a drain current (ID) of said field-effect transistor (2) which changes in response to a stress which is applied to said field-effect transistor (2) due to elastic deformation of said semiconductor substrate (21). The semiconductor sensor (30) as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that said gate voltage generator (31) comprises biasing means (4, 32, 33) for applying a gate bias voltage (VG) to said field-effect transistor (2) so that the signal generated by said detected signal generator (3) will be of a predetermined value. The semiconductor sensor as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said biasing means (4, 32, 33) comprises a reference voltage generator (33) for generating a reference voltage (VR), and a comparator (32) for comparing said reference voltage (VR) and a signal from an integrator (4) integrating said signal generated by said detected signal generator (3) for controlling said gate bias voltage (VG) so that any difference between said reference voltage (VR) and said signal from said integrator (4) will be eliminated.

Inventors: HIYAMA SATOSHI, TAKEBE KATSUHIKO, HIYAMA, SATOSHI, TAKEBE, KATSUHIKO
Applicants: HONDA MOTOR CO LTD, HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G01L9
IPC codes: G01L1, H01L29, G01L9, G01D5, H01L21, H01L27, G01P15