US 11,808,644 B2
Integrated piezoresistive and piezoelectric fusion force sensor
Julius Minglin Tsai, San Jose, CA (US); Ryan Diestelhorst, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Dan Benjamin, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Qorvo US, Inc., Greensboro, NC (US)
Filed by NEXTINPUT, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/081,255.
Application 18/081,255 is a continuation of application No. 17/591,715, filed on Feb. 3, 2022, granted, now 11,604,104.
Application 17/591,715 is a continuation of application No. 16/485,026, granted, now 11,243,125, issued on Feb. 8, 2022, previously published as PCT/US2018/017572, filed on Feb. 9, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/456,699, filed on Feb. 9, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/462,559, filed on Feb. 23, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0184601 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. G01L 1/16 (2006.01); G01L 1/18 (2006.01); G01L 5/00 (2006.01); B81B 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01L 1/16 (2013.01) [G01L 1/18 (2013.01); G01L 5/0028 (2013.01); B81B 3/0072 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A microelectromechanical (“MEMS”) force sensor, comprising:
one or more dielectric layers over a sensor die;
a sensing element on a dielectric layer in the one or more dielectric layers, the sensing element operable to convert a change in an electrical characteristic into an analog electrical signal based on an amount of force applied to the MEMS force sensor; and
a conductive contact over at least a portion of, and in electrical contact with, the sensing element.