Composite Si/PS membrane pressure sensors with micro and macro-porous silicon

Porous Silicon (PS) is a versatile material with many unique features making it viable in the field of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS). In this paper, we discuss the optimization of formation parameters of micro and macro PS with different porosity and thickness for use in pressure sensors. The optimized material is used in the fabrication of composite Si/PS membranes in piezo-resistive pressure sensors and tested. Pressure sensors with composite membranes have higher sensitivity than those with single crystalline silicon membrane with the sensitivity increasing as the porosity increases. For the same porosity and thickness of the PS layer, Si/micro PS membranes exhibit higher sensitivity than Si/macro PS ones. The offset voltage in these sensors is found to be high and can be due to the stress induced in the membrane during PS formation. Offset voltage and stress values are found to be higher in composite membranes with micro PS as compared to macro PS.