Piezo-Resistive Sensing

Piezo-Resistivity

Piezoresistivity is a material property

when bulk resistivity is influenced by
mechanical stress applied to material

Piezo-Resistive Sensing : Basics

The resistance value of a resistor with the length l and crosssectional area A is given by
R= l/A where, is bulk resistivity.

Two Possibilities
Length & cross section:
Strain Gauges (Metals)
Resistivity as a function of strain: True Piezoresistor

Applications:

Pressure, Accelerometer
Tactile ,Gyrorotation &
Flow sensors.

Common Piezoresistive material: Silicon,Polysilicon,SiO2

ZnO

Strain Gauges
Change in Resistance is linearly related to
applied strain.

R
S g
R

Where: Sg is the gauge factor and is the strain.

The resistance of a resistor is customarily measured along its
longitudinal axis. However , externally applied strain may contain
three primary vector components- one along the longitudinal axis
and two 900 to the longitudinal axis & each other.

Longitudinal Gauge Factor :Relative change of measured resistance to

the longitudinal strain.

Transverse Gauge Factor : Relative change of measured resistance to

the transverse strain

Longitudinal and Transverse Gauge Factor

Gage Factor of Metals

is strain= l/l

More strain, higher

resistance

Transducer: Strain Gage

Backing Film

Translates strain to
electrical resistance.
Resistance increases with
length.

Grid
(electrical resistor)

Copper-plated
Solder tabs

Strain Gauge

Silicon Strain Gauge

Semiconductor has high sensitivity and can be small.

Sensitive to temperature.

Wheatstone Bridge
Four resistors connected in
a loop

Vout = (R1/R1+R2 R4/R3+ R4) Vin

If R is equal and one arm is replaced by variable

resistor
Vout= ( R/4R+ 2R) Vin

Wheatstone Bridge Circuit

Vout= Vin R/4R ( One

variable resistor & if
R<<R)
Vout= Vin R/R ( Four
VR,opposite but same
magnitude)

Piezoresistive Properties of Silicon

Crystal Orientation
Doping Concentration
Type of Dopants
Temperature
Fractional change in resistivity : Stress component
: Piezoresistive coeff.
/=////+

Piezoresistive Coefficients for {100} Silicon ( Below 10 18 Cm-3)

Type

//
( 10-11m2/N)

7.0

Direction

(1011
m2/N)
-1

In <100>
Direction

72.0

- 66

In <110>
Direction

-102

53

-31

-18

In <100 >
Direction
In <110>

Piezoresistive Properties of Polysilicon

Piezoresistive Coeff. Insensitive to crystal direction:
Average over all orientation :
Gauge Factor Used
Low TCR as compared to Silicon (0.04% per C vs 0.14%
per C)

.
Doping Conc.

Doping Conc

Cantilevers with Piezoresistors:

Options

Magnitude of max.
stress/strain at the
fixed end

Maximum Strain = M(x)t/2EI=FLt/2EI

Where, M(x) is Total torque
L &t is length and thickness of cantilever

Bulk Micromachined
Piezoresistive
Pressure Sensor

Sensitivity: 4mv/mm Hg

Fabrication Steps: Piezoresistive sensor

Fabrication Steps: Piezoresistive sensor

Bulk Micromachined Pressure Sensor

Schematic of a bulk micromachined piezoresistive pressure

sensor

Surface Micromachined Pressure Sensor

Schematics of a surface micromachined piezoresistive

pressure sensor

Surface Micromachined Piezoresistive Pressure

Sensor

Surface Micromachined Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor: Process Steps

Nitride deposition+
patterning
Silicon Etching
+Oxidation
PSG deposition
+ Patterning
Nitride Deposition

Selective Nitride
Etching
PSG+Oxide
Etching+Drying
Nitride Deposition to
seal+Poly Si+Metal

Accelerometers based on
Piezoresistive sensing

Single-Crystal Si Piezoresistive
Accelerometer

Moment experienced at
the fixed end of the beam

M=F(l+L/2)

Maximum magnitude of
strain at the top of the base
of cantilever
Smax=Mt/2EI=6F(l+L/2)t/Ewt3
Relative change in
resistance
R/R=G.smax
=6Gm(l+L/2)a/Ewt2

Heart wall acceleration

measurement

Highly Sensitive : 0.001g

Low resonant frequency : 2330Hz
Large Proof mass

Cantilever With Proof Mass: Process

Steps

Accelerometer with Strain Gauge

Bulk etched silicon and pyrex glass bonded together. This

device is used for monitoring heart wall accelerations.

Bulk Micromachined Single-Crystal Silicon

Accelerometer

Strain generated by
acceleration

=4 r3sin(/2)a/Ew2

Sensitive axis in the plane of the wafer

Piezoresistive sensor on its vertical side wall
Takes advantage of DRIE process
Sensitivity: 3mv/g

Fabrication Process
Flow
SOI Wafer
Oxide:1.2um
P doped Si:30um

Angled
Implant

P+ Doping for
contact

LTO + Patterning

Selective Etching

LTO
deposition
+
Backside
Etching

Metal Piezoresistive FlowRate Sensor

Artificial hair
cell ,a kind of
mechanorece
ptor

Fabrication
Steps

Al Sacrificial Layer
Photo-definable
polyimide as a base
layer.
Nicr used as metal
strain gauge
Au/Cr as seed layer
for Permalloy
Electroplating
Efficient 3D
assembly

Haircell Array: SEM

Microphotograph

Cilium Length : 600um to 1.5mm

Maximum Process Temperature: 350C
Silicon,Glass,Polymer substrates can be used
Strain gauge resistance:1.2Kohm to 3.2 K ohm
NICr TCR: -25ppm/C

Multi - Axis Piezoresistive

Tactile Sensor

Tactile imager array with 4096 elements

Central shuttle plate suspended by four
bridges over an etched pit
Polysilicon piezoresistors.

Piezoresistive Flow Shear

Stress Sensor
Floating element
120x140um
Tethers: 30x10um

1.4um
oxide

Plate & Tethers

5um thick lightly
doped n-type Si
suspended 1.4um
above another
silicon surface
Two wafer process

MEMS Microphone (Piezoresistive)

Alternate approach: Strain sensing microphone