Abstract:
A strain sensing apparatus including a deformable substrate is presented. The deformable substrate is configured to detect a strain of the body that can be coupled to the deformable substrate. Sometimes, the deformable substrate is a flexible substrate having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface. The lower can be coupled to the body. There are sensing elements fabricated within the flexible substrate and proximate to the upper surface to detect properties of the body. The strain sensing apparatus is able to detect different strain modes, such as whether the strain is the result of bending of a body or a uniaxial elongation. Furthermore, the apparatus is small and less fragile than most conventional sensors, making it easy to use.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/048,462, filed Jan. 31, 2005, publication No. US2005/0229713A1, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,340,960, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/540,843, filed Jan. 30, 2004, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    This invention relates to sensors. More specifically, this invention relates to microstructure sensors. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Information 
         [0005]    Efforts in sensor technology have often been directed toward reducing the size of sensors and sensing elements. Smaller sensors are desirable for a number of reasons. For example, smaller sensors are more easily placed within small spaces, and are often lighter and easier to handle. Recent efforts have focused on fabricating sensors according to micromachining and micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) methods, to create low-profile and/or “low-dimensional” micro-sensors that are fabricated on substrates such as silicon wafers. These MEMS sensors can be made quite small, relative to conventional sensors. 
         [0006]    Such sensors can be utilized in a number of different applications. One such application in which MEMS sensors are desirable is strain sensors. The use of sensors to measure strain, i.e. elongation per unit length, is often helpful in fields such as failure analysis and the design of structures. In order to fit strain sensors into small areas within a structure or body, and in order to ensure that the sensors themselves do not contribute significantly to the dynamics of a structure, it is often beneficial to make these sensors as low-dimensional as possible. 
         [0007]    Such micro-sensors are not without drawbacks, however. For example, they are often fragile and difficult to handle. In addition, micro-sensors often are limited in their functionality. For example, low-dimensional strain sensor assemblies often lack the capability to detect multiple different strain modes. That is, current MEMS strain sensor assemblies can detect a strain of the body upon which they are placed, but they cannot by themselves determine whether that strain is the result of a bending of the body, or a uniaxial elongation. Accordingly, continuing efforts exist to improve MEMS sensors and their associated systems, especially in terms of developing a micro-sensor that can differentiate between multiple different strain modes. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, system, and device. Various embodiments of the invention are discussed below. 
         [0009]    As a strain sensing apparatus, one embodiment of the invention comprises a deformable substrate configured to be coupled to a body, and a strain sensing element formed from the deformable substrate and configured to detect a strain of the body. 
         [0010]    As a strain sensing apparatus, another embodiment of the invention comprises a flexible substrate having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, the lower surface configured to be coupled to a body. A plurality of sensing elements are fabricated within the flexible substrate and proximate to the upper surface, the sensing elements configured to detect properties of the body when the lower surface of the flexible substrate is coupled to the body. 
         [0011]    As a method of fabricating a strain sensing apparatus, another embodiment of the invention comprises receiving a substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, and fabricating a plurality of strain sensing elements upon the substrate and proximate to the upper surface. Material is etched from the upper surface of the substrate so as to fabricate a sensor support structure configured to support the plurality of strain sensors thereon. Material is then removed from the lower surface of the substrate so as to further expose the sensor support structure. 
         [0012]    Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0013]    For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIGS. 1A-1C  illustrate a strain sensing apparatus employing piezoresistive strain sensing elements in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and its behavior in multiple strain modes. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate the use of the strain sensing apparatus of  FIGS. 1A-1C  to detect both bending and stretching during structural failure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates process steps in fabricating a sensor apparatus in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 4A-4Q  further illustrate process steps in fabricating micro-sensors in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 5A-5F  further illustrate process steps in mounting sensors onto flexible tape. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  illustrates the application of a protective shield to a mounted sensor. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 7A-7B  illustrate a sensor configuration and corresponding electrical circuit for use in analyzing signals from a sensor apparatus respectively, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
       [0021]    Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    In one sense, the invention relates to a low-dimensional strain sensor that can detect multiple modes of deformation. The configuration and operation of this strain sensor is shown conceptually in  FIGS. 1A-1C . Here, MEMS techniques are employed to fabricate a number of piezoresistors  100  directly into a toroidal, or generally ring-shaped, substrate  102 . By employing MEMS techniques, the toroidal substrate  102  can be made small and flat, yielding a compact and lightweight sensor. 
         [0023]    In addition, the use of MEMS fabrication techniques allows for the fabrication of low-profile substrates  102  that have piezoresistors  100  that are fabricated directly into or upon the upper surface  106  of the substrate  102  (as can be seen in the side view of  FIG. 1A ), without protruding upward from the upper surface  106 . In this manner, the piezoresistors  100  are located off the substrate&#39;s  102  neutral axis of bending, allowing the piezoresistors  100  to differentiate between multiple deformation modes, without adding to the total height or thickness of the sensor. 
         [0024]    The detection of multiple deformation modes is seen conceptually in  FIGS. 1B-1C . In  FIG. 1B , the substrate  102  and piezoresistors  100  are subject to pure bending strain by bending moments applied at the load points  104 . One of ordinary skill will observe that, in pure bending, all four piezoresistors  100  undergo an equal deformation. Furthermore, because the piezoresistors  100  are all located off the neutral axis of the substrate  102 , this deformation is a finite elongation. Piezoresistors  100  react as standard piezoresistor elements, increasing their resistance as they are elongated, which can be detected by measuring a difference in voltage across each piezoresistor  100 . In  FIG. 1C , the substrate  102  and piezoresistors  100  are subject to uniaxial strain along the axis connecting the load points  104 . One of ordinary skill will observe that, under uniaxial strain, the substrate  102  stretches and “flattens,” placing the two piezoresistors  100  along the inner circumference  108  in tension (thus elongating them), and placing the two piezoresistors  100  along the outer circumference  110  in compression. Accordingly, the two piezoresistors  100  along the inner circumference  108  will increase their resistance, and the two along the outer circumference  110  will decrease their resistance. As this behavior is different from the bending example of  FIG. 1B , it can be seen that miniature sensor assemblies configured as in  FIG. 1A  are capable of detecting multiple modes of deformation while remaining small, compact, and low-profile. 
         [0025]    The ability to detect and differentiate between multiple modes of deformation is advantageous in many different applications. One such application is the detection of structural failure.  FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate the substrate  102  when used to detect the strain undergone by a cantilever beam  200  deflected by a force F. As discussed above, the configuration of the substrate  102  and location of the piezoresistors  100  allow one to distinguish between bending strain and axial strain. As the total strain is simply a linear superposition of both detected bending and axial strain, each type of strain can be isolated and charted as in  FIGS. 2B and 2D . Accordingly, before failure, the force F imparts a larger bending strain upon the beam  200  and a smaller axial strain. Thus, the isolated bending strain line  202  increases faster than the axial strain line  204 , as seen in  FIG. 2B . However, upon failure such as the “rupture-type” failure shown in  FIG. 2C , much of the bending strain is ameliorated, while much of the axial deformation remains. Thus, the bending strain line  202  and axial strain line  204  invert their positions relative to one another, as shown in  FIG. 2D . One indicator of failure, then, is a sudden inversion of the relative positions of these two strain graphs  202 ,  204 . In this manner, the ability to differentiate between strain modes is helpful in monitoring for structural failure. 
         [0026]    While the above described example illustrates the use of piezoresistive strain sensing elements, it should be noted that the invention is not limited in this regard. Rather, the invention more generally encompasses the microfabrication of any type of sensing element. One of skill will recognize that the invention can be applied to many different contexts, and not just in strain detection. For example, substrate  102  can be used to support low-dimensional temperature or pressure sensing elements, in addition to strain sensing elements. Also, the invention can be applied to the fabrication of other types of strain sensing elements besides piezoresistors. 
         [0027]    The fabrication and packaging of sensors according to one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 3 , which illustrates, at a high level, the process steps involved. First, sensing elements are fabricated according to MEMS or micromachining techniques described herein (step  300 ). For ease of use, a tape is formed and the sensors are mounted thereon (step  302 ). It is often advantageous to fabricate the tape as a flexible circuit, so that the sensor and its accompanying electronics can all be mounted on a single compact and easy-to-handle package. Once the sensor is mounted upon this tape, a protective shield can be applied to protect the sensor and tape (step  304 ). The end result is a complete sensor package that is robust yet compact. It should be noted that the invention does not necessarily require all three of these steps to be carried out together. Rather, such steps are an illustration of one embodiment. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 4A-4Q  illustrate further details of step  300 , or the fabrication of miniature sensors in accordance with embodiments of the invention. For ease of illustration,  FIGS. 4A-4Q  illustrate the fabrication of a piezoresistive micro-sensor assembly similar to that shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C . That is, a ringlike or toroidal structure is described, into which sensing elements are fabricated. Other associated support structure is also fabricated, but such support structures often only provide ancillary support for the sensing elements themselves, and as a result some are not shown for simplicity. Such support structures can be readily fabricated with the methods below, as one of skill will realize. It should be reiterated, however, that the invention contemplates other types of sensing elements and assembly configurations. With reference to  FIG. 4A , the sensor fabrication process is begun with a deformable or flexible substrate such as a bulk silicon wafer  400 . Current standard silicon wafers  400  are often on the order of 500 micrometers in thickness, although any such wafer can be used. The wafer  400  is cleaned to remove surface deposits, and an oxide layer  402  is grown using a standard wet oxide process. For example, a 1000° C. wet oxide process can be employed to deposit a 0.33 micrometer-thick oxide layer  402 . 
         [0029]    Masking and etching processes can now be employed. With reference to  FIG. 4B , a shallow depression pattern is to be etched in the substrate  400  to be used in the aligning of electrical contact pads for the sensor&#39;s sensing elements. A photolithographic mask  404  is applied to the oxide layer  402 , and a shallow potassium hydroxide (KOH) etch process is employed to etch a shallow patterned depression in the oxide layer  402 . The mask  404  is then removed and the substrate  404  is decontaminated of potassium. A 0.5 micrometer-thick oxide layer is then grown atop the existing (patterned) oxide layer  402 , covering the aligning areas that were just etched. The oxide layer  402  thus has patterned areas upon it. 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIG. 4C , another photolithographic mask  406  is applied to the oxide layer  402 , this one patterned so as to expose the areas upon which the sensing elements will be fabricated. As shown in the magnified portion  408  of  FIG. 4C , the mask  406  specifically covers areas upon which conductive traces are to be drawn, and exposes areas corresponding to the general shape of the sensing elements and support structure, as well as the sensing elements to be fabricated. Thus, the detailed area  408  is configured in an arcuate shape as shown, with indented areas  410  where piezoresistors are to be fabricated. Note that windows  412  are also patterned to expose areas upon which one or more (in this case, two) reference piezoresistors are to be fabricated. Note also that this pattern of indented areas  410  and windows  412  for reference piezoresistors is repeated at the opposite position  414  along the ringlike structure. The reference piezoresistors and their operation are described further below. In general, the reference piezoresistors can be fabricated as with the piezoresistors upon the ringlike structure. While they are not placed under the same stresses/strains (or other properties) as the piezoresistors upon the ringlike structure, they often undergo the same temperature fluctuations as the piezoresistors upon the ringlike structure. As such, they can be employed to compensate for temperature fluctuations, or fluctuations in other properties, in the piezoresistors upon the ringlike structure. The substrate  400  is then exposed to a wet etch process such as a buffered oxide etch (BOE) sufficient to etch away the unmasked portions of the oxide layer  402 . This etch effectively opens up, or exposes, the areas of the substrate  400  upon which piezoresistors are to be created. Finally, note that as photolithographic masks  406  can be configured in a variety of shapes, the piezoresistors and their structure can take on a variety of shapes besides the arcuate shape shown.  FIG. 4D  illustrates the substrate  400  after these processes, in which contoured areas have been created and portions have been exposed for the forming of piezoresistors. Note again that detailed areas such as that corresponding to the region  415  of the mask  406  are not shown in  FIG. 4D , for simplicity. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4E  illustrates the implanting of piezoresistors. The exact process used here varies according to the type of sensing element desired. For piezoresistors, boron ions are irradiated upon the exposed portions of the substrate  400  so as to dope these portions of the substrate  400  with p-type boron ions. The result of such doping is to impart the exposed portions of the substrate  400  with a piezoresistive function. In this manner, piezoresistors are fabricated within the substrate  400  itself, meaning that each piezoresistor does not occupy any more space than the substrate  400  itself, and does not protrude from the substrate  400 . In one embodiment, piezoresistors are fabricated by irradiating with boron ions at an energy of 32 KeV and dose of 1×10 15  cm −2 , at room temperature, at an angle of 7°, and current of less than 100 μA. 
         [0032]    The substrate  400  is then annealed ( FIG. 4F ) to anneal the resist implant so as to facilitate satisfactory growth of gate oxide, and a layer of silicate glass (SiO2)  416  is deposited over the entire upper surface of the substrate  400  so as to effectively cover the substrate  400 , piezoresistors, and oxide layer  402  with an electrically insulating layer ( FIG. 4G ). It is often beneficial to perform the glass deposition step immediately subsequent to the annealing step, so as to avoid reentrant step profiles that may impair later metal coverage. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 4H , another mask  418  is then applied, which is patterned to expose specific areas, such as areas  420 ,  422 , where the insulating layer of glass is to be etched away. More specifically, the mask  418  exposes those areas where it is desirable to establish electrical contact between the piezoresistor structure and other components. Many such areas  420 ,  422  can be fabricated besides the ones shown. The substrate  400  is then etched using, for example, a reactive ion etch (RIE), or wet etch process such as a hydrofluoric acid etch, to etch out contact windows where the substrate  400  is exposed ( FIG. 4I ). 
         [0034]    A layer of aluminum (not currently shown) is then sputtered upon the entire surface of the substrate  400 , where it contacts the substrate  400  at the contact windows  424 . Specifically, the fabricated piezoresistors are coated so as to begin the formation of electrical leads extending from them. With reference to  FIG. 4J , another mask  426  is applied to the substrate  400 , this one patterned so as to expose the leads that are to electrically connect each piezoresistor to the appropriate contact pad  428 . The aluminum layer is then exposed to a dry etch process such as a plasma etch, to create the traces outlined in  FIG. 4J . The photoresist mask  426  is then stripped off ( FIG. 4K , in which traces are not shown for simplicity), and the contact pads  430  are resistance-checked to determine continuity. A low temperature oxide (LTO) layer  432  such as another glass layer can optionally be deposited to protect the aluminum from oxidation ( FIG. 4L ). 
         [0035]    Another photoresist pattern  434  is then applied, as shown in  FIG. 4M . With reference to  FIG. 4N , this mask  434  is patterned to open up the electrical contact pads  430 , and to expose other areas  436  for deep RIE so as to form the various support structures that support the piezoresistors. The outline or profile of the mask  434  thus generally illustrates the shape of the piezoresistors and their support structure in this embodiment. Once the contact pads  430  are etched clean of their LTO layer  432  and RIE has been performed on the appropriate areas  436 , the upper surface  438  is affixed to a tape so as to support the substrate  400  while the backside is ground. This grinding removes bulk silicon to reduce the total thickness of the substrate to a thickness of less than 200 micrometers, and possibly less than 100 micrometers, depending on the specific application. 
         [0036]    As the tape is present solely to support the substrate  400  during backgrinding, it is no longer necessary and is removed/dissolved. The backside of the substrate  400  is then affixed to a thicker support wafer  439 , which can be any standard silicon wafer thick enough to support the thinned substrate  400 , utilizing a photoresist layer  437  as an adhesive. In  FIG. 4O , a final mask  440  is then affixed to the upper surface  438 , this mask  440  patterned to allow for the deep etching of the support structure (i.e., the toroidal ring, etc.) that supports the sensing elements. Here, a deep RIE process is utilized again, to etch all the way down to the underlying photoresist  437  affixed to the thicker support wafer  439 .  FIG. 4P  illustrates the resulting etched toroidal structure  442  (piezoresistors and aluminum leads not shown, for simplicity) after etching by deep RIE. The thick support wafer  439  and photoresist  437  are then removed ( FIG. 4Q ) by dissolving the photoresist  437 , leaving a low-profile strain sensing apparatus  444 . 
         [0037]      FIGS. 5A-5F  illustrate further details of step  302 , in which the completed sensing elements and their support structure are mounted on a flexible tape such as a known flexible circuit, for ease of handling. With reference to  FIGS. 5A-5B , a flexible tape  500  is patterned (using known cutting processes) to form support points  502  where the sensor apparatus is to be mounted. For a strain sensor application, these support points  502  are the vehicle by which loads are transferred from a body to the toroid  506 , which is the structure described above that has the piezoresistors fabricated thereupon, but which is not shown to scale. The sensing apparatus  444  is then placed upon the support points  502 , i.e., within the depression  503 , ( FIG. 5C ), perhaps by first suspending the apparatus  504  (shown in simplified form) in a liquid for support and to prevent breaking of the fragile apparatus  504 . The contact pads  508  then have a conductive adhesive  510  applied to them, such as a known z-axis adhesive that is conductive only in the z-direction. An insulating layer  512  is also applied to seal the edges of the tape  500 . An upper tape layer  514  is next applied to sandwich the sensor apparatus  504  within ( FIG. 5E ). This upper tape layer  514  also contains electrical traces  516  positioned to contact the conductive adhesive  510 . By positioning the electrical traces  516  correctly above the correct pads  508 , the piezoresistors can be connected appropriately to power supplies and controllers. In addition, an adhesive layer  518  can be applied to the tape  500  for affixing the tape  500  to a body ( FIG. 5F ), so that its strain will be transmitted to the sensor apparatus  504  via the support points  502 . 
         [0038]    It is worth reiterating that the flexible tape  500  can be a known flexible circuit. Consequently, other components besides the sensor apparatus  504  can be placed on the tape  500 . More specifically, the tape  500  can support and electrically interconnect other electrical components used in sending signals to and from the sensor apparatus  504 . Furthermore, the tape  500  can support rigid enclosures designed to protect the delicate sensor.  FIG. 6  illustrates an embodiment in which a flexible tape  500  configured for the mounting of additional electronic components, as well as a protective shield for protecting the sensor and electronics. In this embodiment, the tape  500  is wide enough to support the sensor structure  504  and upper layer  514 , as well as other structures such as electronic component  600 , which can be any electronic component employed in connection with the sensor structure  504 , but is shown as an integrated circuit package. A rigid enclosure  602  surrounds and protects the sensor structure  504  and electronic component  600 , as well as any other structures supported on the tape  500 , such as conductive traces. The space  604  between the enclosure  602  and the other structures can be left empty, or it can be filled with a compliant electrically insulative material to prevent contact between the enclosure  602  and other structures when the tape  500  is deformed. 
         [0039]    It should also be noted that the laying of traces such as the aluminum traces described in  FIG. 4 , as well as the fabricating and positioning of traces  516  in tape layers, are known. Accordingly, they can be employed to electrically interconnect sensing elements within the sensor apparatus  504  in any desired manner.  FIGS. 7A-7B  respectively illustrate a sensor configuration and corresponding electrical circuit for use in analyzing signals from a sensor apparatus, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this configuration, a support toroid  700  supports piezoresistors  702 - 708 , distributed as described above. The piezoresistors  702 - 708  are fabricated directly from the substrate material of the toroid  700 , according to the processes described in  FIGS. 4A-4Q . Aluminum traces  710  each extend to appropriate ones of the contact pads  508  (not shown), so that the resistance of each piezoresistor  702 - 708  can be measured. Reference resistors  720 - 724  are also fabricated in the bulk material of the sensor apparatus  504 , and provide reference resistances for temperature compensation. The fabrication of the reference resistors  720 - 724 , the aluminum traces that connect them to other contact pads  508 , and the fabrication of the toroid  700  are described in  FIGS. 4A-4Q . 
         [0040]    In operation, the entire sensor apparatus shown in  FIG. 7A  is attached to a body as described above. Strain undergone by the body is transmitted to the support points  502  and, because the support points  502  are in mechanical contact with the support toroid  700 , directly to the toroid  700 . As described in  FIGS. 1-2 , the piezoresistors  702 - 708  react differently (i.e., change their resistances differently) depending on the type of strain they undergo. Such different reactions can be detected (and differentiated) by a circuit such as that shown in  FIG. 7B , which illustrates one way in which the piezoresistors  702 - 708  can be electrically interconnected. Here, pairs of the piezoresistors  702 - 708  are electrically connected (either by connecting appropriate traces  710 , contact pads  508 , or corresponding electrical traces  516 ) in series, and each “series-pair” is connected in parallel. More specifically, piezoresistors  702  and  706  can be connected as one series-pair, and piezoresistors  704  and  708  are connected as another series-pair. These two series-pairs are connected in electrical parallel as shown. 
         [0041]    As described above in connection with  FIG. 1 , each of the piezoresistors  702 - 708  will alter their resistances in accordance with a perceived strain. When connected in this configuration, one of skill in the art will observe that measuring the voltage difference between the two points  730 ,  732  will indicate the strain mode. More specifically, if all four piezoresistors  702 - 708  have changed their resistance uniformly, no voltage difference will be perceived, which indicates a pure bending condition. The magnitude of the strain measured in this instance can be determined by measuring the voltage difference between points  734  and  736 . An axial strain condition is indicated when two piezoresistors that are diagonally opposite in  FIG. 7B  increase their resistance, while the other two decrease their resistance. This manifests itself as a voltage difference between points  730  and  732 , the magnitude of which also indicates the magnitude of the strain. Accordingly, the piezoresistor configuration of  FIG. 7A , when electrically connected as shown in  FIG. 7B , allows for the detection of multiple strain modes with a single, low-profile micro-sensor apparatus. 
         [0042]    The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. For example, other sensing elements besides piezoresistors can be fabricated and employed. Also, the invention is not limited to support structures having ringlike or toroidal configurations, but rather simply discloses the fabrication of any microfabricated or MEMS support structure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.