A flexible encapsulated MEMS pressure sensor system for biomechanical applications

The use of pressure sensors made of conductive polymers is common in biomec hanical applications. Unfortunately, hysteresis, nonlinearity, non-repeatab ility and creep have a significant effect on the pressure readings when suc h conductive polymers are used. The objective of this paper is to explore t he potential of a new flexible encapsulated micro electromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensor system as an alternative for human interface pressur e measurement. A prototype has been designed, fabricated, and characterized . Testing has shown that the proposed packaging approach shows very little degradation in the performance characteristics of the original MEMS pressur e sensor. The much-needed characteristics of repeatability, linearity, low hysteresis, temperature independency are preserved. Thus the flexible encap sulated MEMS pressure sensor system is very promising and shows superiority over the commercially available conductive polymer film sensors for pressu re measurement in biomechanical applications.