Acuity expands high-performance MEMS pressure sensor range

FREMONT, USA: Acuity Inc., a fabless designer of stable high-performance MEMS pressure sensors, is adding 50 millibar (mbar) and 100 mbar full-scale ranges to the existing 20 mbar full scale range of its AC3030 series low-pressure sensor die.

Both structural and process improvements in the AC3030 design provide enhanced stability over traditional low-pressure parts. The new ranges are based on the same high-performance design as the 20 mbar device.

"Our die customers have been particularly pleased with the very low zero-drift and tight parameter distribution of our AC3030 series chips," comments Henry Allen, Vice President of Acuity, Inc. "The die enable very accurate low-pressure measurements and are especially key in many amplified designs."

Key attributes of the device include:
• Very low-mass diaphragm which overcomes g-force and vibration errors, and providing higher accuracy and overcoming the costs associated with correction schemes.

• Very small footprint (1.6 mm square) which both reduces the effects of package stress and lowers chip costs.

"The real strength of this design is seen in low pressure instrumentation applications in industrial measurement, medical and HVAC markets," said Jim Knutti, President of Acuity, Inc. "We currently supply die on an OEM basis to a number of sensor companies to replace existing die as well as to open new applications. We developed these additional ranges in direct response to customer demand for the same stability and cost advantages that we provide with our 20 mbar parts."

The AC3030 structure relies on several key process steps and the wafers are fabricated under a manufacturing agreement with MEMS foundry Semefab.

All three ranges of the AC3030 die are currently in production.