In the framework of developing innovative microfabricated pressure sensors, we present here three designs based on different readout principles, each one tailored for a specific application. A touch mode capacitive pressure sensor with high sensitivity (14 pF/bar), low temperature dependence and high capacitive output signal (more than 100 pF) is depicted. An optical pressure sensor intrinsically immune to electromagnetic interference, with large pressure range (0–350 bar) and a sensitivity of 1 pm/bar is presented. Finally, a resonating wireless pressure sensor power source free with a sensitivity of 650 KHz/mmHg is described. These sensors will be related with their applications in？ harsh environment, distributed systems and medical environment, respectively. For many aspects, commercially available sensors, which in vast majority are piezoresistive, are not suited for the applications proposed.
References
[1]
Doebelin, EO. Measurements Systems: Application and Design, 5th ed ed.; McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, USA, 2003.
[2]
Heerens, WC. Application of capacitance techniques in sensor design. J. Phys. E Sci. Instrum？1986, 19, 897–906.
[3]
Jones, RV; Richards, JC. Design and some applications of sensitive capacitance micrometers. J. Phys. E Sci. Instrum？1973, 6, 589–600.
[4]
Hugill, AL. Displacement transducers based on reactive sensors in transformer ratio bridge circuits. J. Phys. E Sci. Instrum？1982, 15, 597–606.
[5]
Huang, SM; Stott, AL; Green, RG; Beck, MS. Electronic transducers for industrial measurement of low value capacitance. J. Phys. E Sci. Instrum？1988, 21, 242–250.
[6]
Kung, JT; Lee, HS; Howe, RT. A digital readout technique for capacitive sensor applications. IEEE J. Solid-State Circ？1988, 23, 972–977.
[7]
Cichocki, A; Unbehauen, R. Switched-capacitor tansducers with digital or duty-cycle output based on pulase-width modulation technique. Int. J. Electron？1991, 71, 265–278.
[8]
Frobenius, WD; Sanderson, AC; Nathanson, HC. Microminiature solid-state capacitive blood-pressure transducer with improved sensitivity. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng？1973. BM20, 312–314.
Gao, R; Zhang, L. Micromachined microsensors for manufacturing. IEEE Instrum. Meas. Mag？2008, 23, 142–149.
[14]
Wise, KD. Integrated sensors, MEMS, and microsystems: Reflections on a fantastic voyage. Sens. Actuator. A Phys？2008, 136, 39–50.
[15]
Ding, X; Tong, L; He, W; Hsu, J; Ko, WH. Touch mode silicon capacitive pressure sensors. Proceedings of the Winter Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Dallas, TX, USA, 25–30 November 1990; pp. 111–117.
[16]
Dudaicevs, H; Kandler, M; Manoli, Y; Mokwa, W; Spiegel, E. Surface micromachined pressure sensors with integrated CMOS read-out electronics. Sens. Actuator. A Phys？1994, 43, 157–163.
[17]
Pedersen, T; Fragiacomo, G; Hansen, O; Thomsen, EV. Highly sensitive micromachined capacitive pressure sensor with reduced hysteresis and low parasitic capacitance. Sens. Actuator. A Phys？2009, 154, 35–41.
[18]
Fragiacomo, G; Ansb？k, T; Pedersen, T; Hansen, O; Thomsen, EV. Analysis of small deflection touch mode behavior in capacitive pressure sensors. Sens. Actuator. A Phys？2010, 161, 114–119.
[19]
Timoshenko, SP; Woinkowsky-Krieger, S. Theory of Plates and Shells, 2nd ed ed.; McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, USA, 1959.
[20]
Madou, MJ. Fundamentals of Microfabrication: The Science of Miniaturization, 2nd ed ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2002.
[21]
Wu, S; Frankena, HJ. Integrated optical sensors using micromechanical bridges and cantilevers. SPIE Integ. Opt. Microstruct？1993, 1793, 83–89.
[22]
Wagner, D; Frankenberger, J; Deimel, P. Optical pressure sensor using two Mach-Zehnder interferometers for the TE and TM polarization. J. Micromech. Microeng？1994, 4, 35–39.
Dennison, CR; Wild, PM. Enhanced sensitivity of an in-fibre Bragg grating pressure sensor achieved through fibre diameter reduction. Meas. Sci. Technol？2008, 19, 3264–3266.
[25]
Brabander, GND; Beheim, G; Boyd, JT. Integrated optical micromachined pressure sensor with spectrally encoded output and temperature compensation. Appl. Opt？1998, 37, 3264–3266.
[26]
Li, M; Wang, M; Li, H. Optical MEMS pressure sensor based on Fabry-Perot interferometry. Opt. Express？2006, 14, 1497–1504.
[27]
Porte, H; Gorel, V; Kiryenko, S; Goedgebuer, J; Daniau, W; Blind, P. Imbalanced MachZehnder Interferometer Integrated in Micromachined SiliconSubstrate for Pressure Sensor. J. Lightwave Technol？1999, 17, 229–233.
[28]
Hall, NA; Okandan, M; Littrell, R; Bicen, B; Degertekin, FL. Micromachined optical microphone structures with low thermal-mechanical noise levels. J. Acoust. Soc. Am？2007, 122, 2031–2037.
[29]
Isaac, JJ; De La Rue, RM; Wong, KK. An optical pressure sensor in III–V semiconductor material. Proceedings of Institute of Physics Short Meeting Series No 7: Fiber Optic Sensors, Bristol, UK, 13–14 July 1987; pp. 105–108.
[30]
Reck, K; Almind, NS; Mar, MD; Hbner, J; Hansen, O; Thomsen, EV. Design and modeling of an all-optical frequency modulated MEMS strain sensor using nanoscale Bragg gratings. IEEE Sens J？2010, 873–877.
[31]
Boresi, PA; Sidebottom, OM. Advanced Mechanics of Materials; John Wiley & Sons, Inc: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 1985; pp. 32–58.
[32]
Heiblum, M; Harris, JH. Analysis of curved optical waveguides by conformal transformation. IEEE J. Quant. Electron？1975, 11, 75–83.
[33]
Collins, CC. Miniature passive pressure transensor for implanting in eye. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng？1967. BM14, 74–83.
[34]
Fonseca, MA; English, JM; von Arx, M; Allen, MG. Wireless micromachined ceramic pressure sensor for high-temperature applications. J. Microelectromech. Syst？2002, 11, 337–343.
[35]
Wouters, P; Puers, R; Geers, R; Goedseels, V. Implantable biotelemetry devices for animal monitoring and identification. IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Soc？1992, 14, 2665–2666.
[36]
Najafi, K; Wise, KD. An implatable multielectrode array with on-chip signal-processing. IEEE J. Solid-State Circ？1986, 21, 1035–1044.
[37]
Bulst, WE; Fischerauer, G; Reindl, L. State of the art in wireless sensing with surface acoustic waves. IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron？2001, 48, 265–271.
[38]
Park, EC; Yoon, JB; Yoon, E. Hermetically sealed inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator for remote pressure monitoring. Jap. J. Appl. Phys？1998, 37, 7124–7128.
[39]
Akar, O; Akin, T; Najafi, K. A wireless batch sealed absolute capacitive pressure sensor. Sens. Actuator. A Phys？2001, 95, 29–38.
[40]
Kim, SY; Kim, HJ; Park, JS. A telemetry silicon pressure sensor of LC resonance type. Proceedings of the Design, Test, Integrations and Packaging of MEMS/MOEMS, Cannes, France, 25–27 April 2001; pp. 452–462.
[41]
Parsa, CJ; Daneshmand, MA; Lima, B; Balsara, K; McCann, RL; Hughes, GC. Utility of remote wireless pressure sensing for endovascular leak detection after endovascular thoracic aneurysm repair. Ann. Thorac. Surg？2010, 89, 446–452.
[42]
Olsen, AL; Smith, VJ; Bergstrom, JO; Colling, JC; Clark, AL. Epidemiology of surgically managed pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Obstet. Gynecol？1997, 89, 501–506.
[43]
Rijkhoff, NJM. Neuroprostheses to treat neurogenic bladder dysfunction: Current status and future perspectives. Child. Nerv. Syst？2004, 20, 75–86.
[44]
Fjorback, MV; Hansen, J; Dalmose, AL; Rijkhoff, NJM; Sinkjaer, T. A portable device for experimental treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity. Neuromodulation？2003, 6, 158–165.
