Scratch protection for direct contact sensors

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 8633525
APP PUB NO 20120091517A1
SERIAL NO

13232171

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Importance

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Abstract

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In capacitive sensor circuits where physical contact is required and excess pressure may be inadvertently applied to the sensor surface, aluminum is not sufficiently hard to provide “scratch” protection and may delaminate, causing circuit failure, even if passivation integrity remains intact. Because hard passivation layers alone provide insufficient scratch resistance, at least the capacitive electrodes and preferably all metallization levels within the sensor circuit in the region of the capacitive electrodes between the surface and the active regions of the substrate are formed of a conductive material having a hardness greater than that of aluminum, and at least as great as the lowest hardness for any interlevel dielectric or passivation material employed.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
STMICROELECTRONICS INCCOPPELL TX 75019

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Thomas, Danielle A Dallas, US 36 493

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