Patent ID: 7436037

Claim:
A pressure sensor apparatus, comprising: a semiconductor wafer having a top surface and a bottom surface, said top surface having a central area containing a plurality of semiconductive piezoresistive elements, a plurality of contact terminals, each of said contact terminals associated with and connected to a semiconductive element, a solid insulating layer covering said central areas and said semiconductive element, a solid insulating layer covering said central area and said semiconductive elements, a peripheral semiconductor frame surrounding said central area, and an insulating inner frame layer also surrounding said central area and at least one insulated strip connecting each frame element in said peripheral semiconductor frame with a corresponding frame element of said insulating inner frame layer; and a glass cover membrane having a central aperture for communicating with said central area, said glass cover member electrostatically bonded to said wafer at said peripheral semiconductor frame, with said inner frame forming a compression bond with said glass wafer, said glass wafer having contact through boles each associated and communicating with an associated contact terminal when said cover member is bonded to said wafer.