US 12,298,364 B2
Sensor having protruding surface
Hiromichi Umehara, Tokyo (JP); Kenzo Makino, Tokyo (JP); and Masachika Hashino, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to TDK CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by TDK CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/620,102.
Application 18/620,102 is a continuation of application No. 17/945,615, filed on Sep. 15, 2022, granted, now 11,971,461.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/246,437, filed on Sep. 21, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-134781 (JP), filed on Aug. 26, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0241192 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01R 33/09 (2006.01); G01R 33/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/093 (2013.01) [G01R 33/0047 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor configured to detect a predetermined physical quantity, comprising:
a substrate including a top surface;
a support member disposed on the substrate; and
a sensor element configured to change in a physical property depending on the predetermined physical quantity, wherein
the support member includes a protruding surface protruding in a direction away from the top surface of the substrate and inclined at least partially with respect to the top surface of the substrate,
the sensor element includes a functional layer constituting at least a part of the sensor element,
the functional layer is disposed on the protruding surface,
the protruding surface includes an upper end portion farthest from the top surface of the substrate, and also includes a first curved surface portion including the upper end portion of the protruding surface and protruding in the direction away from the top surface of the substrate, and a second curved surface portion continuous with the first curved surface portion and located between the first curved surface portion and the top surface of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate, and
the protruding surface is shaped such that when a shape of the protruding surface in a cross section perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate is regarded as a function Z having as a variable a position on a virtual straight line that is parallel to each of the cross section and the top surface of the substrate, a mean value of an absolute value of a second derivative Z″ of the function Z corresponding to the first curved surface portion is smaller than a mean value of an absolute value of the second derivative Z″ of the function Z corresponding to the second curved surface portion.