Oil sealed type pressure sensor, e.g. for motor vehicle use, has an arrangement of bonding wires between a semiconductor sensor and contacts that allows an oil leak to be detected and a warning generated

摘要

Pressure sensor has a pressure sensing element in the form of a semiconductor chip (20) placed in an oil (41) filled chamber (11) of a pressure sensor housing (10). A number of contacts (12a-12c) are linked by corresponding bonding wires (13a-13c) to contacts on the chip itself. A metallic diaphragm (34) seals the chamber and the oil contained within it. One of the bonding wires (13a) is arranged closest to the diaphragm. If the diaphragm is displaced towards the sensor element due to an oil leak then the closest bonding wire (13a) is contacted and a sensor defect detected and correspondingly indicated. Independent claims are made for: (1) sensor arrangements with alternative designs for detecting an oil leak; (2) a method of producing such a pressure sensor.