Bonding method adaptable for manufacturing capacitive pressure sensing elements

Claim 1

A method for bonding conductive and nonconductive bodies together including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; providing at least one of said first and second surfaces with a surface recessed portion substantially surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface with said nonrecessed portion of said one of said surfaces in contact with and bonded to the other of said surfaces and said metallization on said second surface being substantially surrounded by said nonrecessed surface portion; said recessed portion and said other of said surfaces forming an internal cavity therebetween with said metallization at least partially located therein; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials whereby corona and arcing effects are prevented from occurring in said recessed portion during said bonding step.

Claim 2

A method for bonding conductive and nonconductive bodies together including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; providing at least one of said first and second surfaces with a surface recessed portion substantially surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface with said nonrecessed portion of said one of said surfaces in contact with and bonded to the other of said surfaces and said metallization on said second surface being substantially surrounded by said nonrecessed surface portion; said recessed portion and said other of said surfaces forming an internal cavity therebetween with said metallization at least partially located therein; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials whereby corona and arcing effects are prevented from occurring in said recessed portion during said bonding step.

Claim 3

A method for bonding conductive and nonconductive bodies together including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface, said second body also having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon to which solder will subsequently be applied to; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface; applying, subsequent to said bonding step, solder to said metallization; and providing electrical isolation between said metallization and said first body after said bonding step; and wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials whereby the solderability of the isolated conductive metallization is maintained.

Claim 4

A method for bonding conductive and nonconductive bodies together including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface, said second body also having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon to which solder will subsequently be applied to; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface; applying, subsequent to said bonding step, solder to said metallization; and providing electrical isolation between said metallization and said first body after said bonding step; and wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials whereby the solderability of the isolated conductive metallization is maintained.

Claim 6

A method according to any of claims 1, 2 or 3 which includes the step of heating said first and second bodies to at least an elevated temperature, such that said first and second bodies are at said elevated temperature during said bonding step.

Claim 7

A method for bonding conductive and nonconductive bodies together including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; providing at least one of said first and second surfaces with a surface recessed portion substantially surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface with said nonrecessed portion of said one of said surfaces in contact with and bonded to the other of said surfaces and said metallization on said second surface being substantially surrounded by said nonrecessed surface portion and spaced apart from and isolated from said first conductive body, said metallization and said first conductive body effectively forming a capacitor with said metallization forming one capacitor electrode and said first conductive body forming another capacitor electrode, said recessed portion and said other of said surfaces forming an internal cavity therebetween with said metallization at least partially located therein; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials.

Claim 8

A method for bonding conductive and nonconductive bodies together including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; providing at least one of said first and second surfaces with a surface recessed portion substantially surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface with said nonrecessed portion of said one of said surfaces in contact with and bonded to the other of said surfaces and said metallization on said second surface being substantially surrounded by said nonrecessed surface portion and spaced apart from and isolated from said first conductive body, said metallization and said first conductive body effectively forming a capacitor with said metallization forming one capacitor electrode and said first conductive body forming another capacitor electrode, said recessed portion and said other of said surfaces forming an internal cavity therebetween with said metallization at least partially located therein; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials.

Claim 15

A method according to any of claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 which includes the step of heating the first and second bodies to at least an elevated temperature and maintaining said first and second bodies at said elevated temperature during the application of said voltage potentials to said first and second bodies and said metallization.

Claim 23

A method for manufacturing variable capacitance pressure sensing elements including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface with at least one recessed portion thereon entirely surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion: providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface nonrecessed portion with a major portion of said recessed portion being positioned facing and in spaced, adjacent, substantially parallel alignment with said electrically conductive metallization on said dielectric material second surface and said nonrecessed portion entirely laterally surrounding said metallization which is spaced apart from and insulated from said first conductive body, thereby forming a capacitor with said metallization forming one capacitor electrode and said major portion of said recessed portion of said first body forming another capacitor electrode thereof, and said first and second bodies forming an internal cavity having said surface recessed portion forming a boundary thereof, the capacitance of said capacitor being variable as a function of pressure changes of one or more pressures acting on the electrodes of the capacitor to change the separation therebetween; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials.

Claim 24

A method for manufacturing variable capacitance pressure sensing elements including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface with at least one recessed portion thereon entirely surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion: providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface nonrecessed portion with a major portion of said recessed portion being positioned facing and in spaced, adjacent, substantially parallel alignment with said electrically conductive metallization on said dielectric material second surface and said nonrecessed portion entirely laterally surrounding said metallization which is spaced apart from and insulated from said first conductive body, thereby forming a capacitor with said metallization forming one capacitor electrode and said major portion of said recessed portion of said first body forming another capacitor electrode thereof, and said first and second bodies forming an internal cavity having said surface recessed portion forming a boundary thereof, the capacitance of said capacitor being variable as a function of pressure changes of one or more pressures acting on the electrodes of the capacitor to change the separation therebetween; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials.

Claim 30

A method according to any of claims 20 or 21 wherein said step of providing said second body comprises providing a substantially flat plate portion of dielectric material as said second body.

Claim 31

A method according to any of claims 20 or 24 wherein said first voltage potential is positive with respect to said second voltage potential.

Claim 33

A method according to any of claims 20, 24, 25 or 28 which includes the step of heating said first and second bodies to an elevated temperature and maintaining said first and second bodies at said elevated temperature during the application of said first and second voltage potentials.

Claim 36

A method for manufacturing variable capacitance pressure sensing elements including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface with at least one recessed portion thereon substantially surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface nonrecessed portion with a major portion of said recessed portion being positioned facing and in, adjacent, substantially parallel alignment with said electrically conductive metallization on said dielectric material second surface, said metallization and said major portion of said recessed portion of said first conductive body effectively forming a capacitor with said metallization forming one capacitor electrode and said major portion of said recessed portion of said first body forming another capacitor electrode thereof; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said to second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials.

Claim 37

A method for manufacturing variable capacitance pressure sensing elements including the steps of: providing a first body of conductive material having a first exterior surface with at least one recessed portion thereon substantially surrounded by a nonrecessed surface portion; providing a second body of dielectric material having a second exterior surface with at least one area of said second surface having at least one electrically conductive metallization thereon; bonding said dielectric material second surface to said conductive material first surface nonrecessed portion with a major portion of said recessed portion being positioned facing and in, adjacent, substantially parallel alignment with said electrically conductive metallization on said dielectric material second surface, said metallization and said major portion of said recessed portion of said first conductive body effectively forming a capacitor with said metallization forming one capacitor electrode and said major portion of said recessed portion of said first body forming another capacitor electrode thereof; wherein said bonding step is performed by anodic bonding wherein a first voltage potential is applied to said first conductive body while a substantially different second voltage potential is applied to said to second dielectric body, and wherein a voltage potential substantially similar to said first voltage potential is applied to said metallization during the application of said first and second voltage potentials.