Miniature pressure sensor dies for automotive and IoT applications

Jon Lawson

TDK has launched a series of miniature MEMS pressure sensor dies.

The automotive versions of the C33 series measures 1mm x 1mm x 0.4mm, making them one of the smallest of their kind.

They are designed for absolute pressures of 1.2 bar to 10 bar, and are qualified based on AEC-Q101.

The typical operating voltage is 3 V. With a supply voltage of 5 V they offer sensitivities of between 15 mV/bar and 80 mV/bar, depending on the type.

The miniaturised pressure sensors are suitable for a temperature range from -40 °C to +135 °C and can even withstand 140 °C for short periods. They also offer a very long-term stability of ± 0.35% FS (full scale).

The C39 type, with a footprint of 0.65 mm x 0.65 mm is aimed at Internet of Things (IoT) and consumer applications.

The low insertion height of just 0.24 mm makes the low-profile MEMS pressure sensor die suitable for smartphones and wearables where space requirements are critical.

The C39 is designed for an absolute pressure of 1.2 bar and, like the C33 series, offers long-term stability of ± 0.35% full scale (FS).

All the pressure sensor dies operate on the piezoresistive principle and deliver, via a Wheatstone bridge, an analogue signal that is proportional to the applied pressure and the supply voltage.