Patent ID: 7121146

Claim:
A capacitive pressure sensing device formed on a semiconductor substrate that includes driver circuitry formed therein, the capacitive pressure sensing device comprising: a conductive lower capacitor plate formed at an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, the lower capacitor plate being conductively coupled to the driver circuitry; a conductive pad formed at the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced-apart from the lower capacitor plate, the conductive pad being conductively coupled to the driver circuitry; patterned dielectric material formed over the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and having a first opening formed therein to expose an upper surface of the conductive pad and having a second opening formed therein over the lower capacitor plate; a supporting layer of dielectric material formed on the patterned dielectric material, the supporting layer having a first opening formed therein over the conductive pad and having a plurality of openings formed therein over the second opening in the patterned dielectric material; and an upper layer of conductive material formed on the supporting layer and extending through the first opening in the supporting layer and into the first opening in the patterned dielectric material to form electrical contact with the exposed upper surface of the conductive pad, the upper layer of conductive material extending over the plurality of openings formed in the supporting layer to close said openings to define an enclosed cavity between the lower capacitor plate and the upper conductive layer.