Patent ID: 7629657

Claim:
A pressure sensing device, comprising: a substrate; an encapsulation layer including at least one vent, at least one void being defined between the substrate and the encapsulation layer, and extending underneath the at least one vent, a portion of the encapsulation layer above the at least one void forming a membrane; at least one epitaxially deposited silicon plug filling each of the at least one vent, wherein the at least one epitaxially deposited silicon plug is formed by, within the at least one vent, epitaxially growing silicon on a sidewall of the at least one vent until pinching off the at least one vent; and a sensing element arranged on the membrane, wherein each of the at least one vent has a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the at least one void and the second end being opposite to the first end and the at least one void, and wherein the at least one vent tapers from the first end to the second end so that the at least one vent is wider at the second end than the first end.