STMicroelectronics Announces Pressure Sensor with Extended Altitude Measurement Capabilities

Ultra-small silicon pressure sensor, providing the highest accuracy pressure measurement by applying innovative MEMS technology

– STMicroelectronics ( www.st.com ), the world's leading supplier of MEMS sensors for consumer electronics and mobile devices, announced that its latest MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors, when installed in smartphones and other portable devices, can most accurately measure changes in elevation from the summit of Mount Everest down to 750 meters below ground.

The new product LPS001WP is a small silicon pressure sensor that applies innovative technology to provide the highest resolution pressure, or altitude, measurement capabilities. It is provided in a very thin and compact package suitable for weather stations, vehicles, and industrial applications, as well as smartphones, sports watches, and other portable devices.

Benedetto Vigna, General Manager of STMicroelectronics’ MEMS, Sensors and High Performance Analog business unit, said, “ST is continuously developing new sensors that can measure physical parameters such as linear or orthogonal motion, pressure, and magnetic fields at low cost and high accuracy through MEMS technology,” adding, “The applications of MEMS sensors to meet consumer needs depend on our imagination.”

The top priority target application is to enhance the capabilities of existing portable GPS, which can only identify location in two dimensions. By applying LPS001WP, accurate location can be identified in three dimensions, so not only the location inside the building but also floor-by-floor location information can be identified via mobile phone, allowing emergency calls to be made to fire departments, ambulance services, police, etc.

The LPS001WP provides an operating pressure range of 300–1100 mb, corresponding to atmospheric pressure at altitudes of -750 m to +9000 m above sea level, and can detect pressure changes in increments of as little as 0.065 mb, equivalent to an altitude of 80 cm. The LPS001WP is manufactured using ST’s proprietary “VENSENS” technology, which enables the pressure sensor to be fabricated as a monolithic silicon chip. Devices manufactured using VENSENS technology can eliminate wafer-to-wafer bonding, thereby maximizing reliability.

The pressure sensor of the LPS001WP is based on a flexible silicon membrane within an air cavity formed through gap control and pressure regulation. This membrane is significantly smaller than traditional silicon micromachined membranes and is prevented from breaking via a built-in mechanical stopper. The membrane incorporates a piezoresistor, and as the membrane relaxes in response to changes in external pressure...