Melexis' first-of-its-kind Triphibian™ technology revolutionizes MEMS pressure sensitive components

January 19, 2024, Tysendeleau, Belgium - Melexis, a global microelectronics engineering company, today announced the launch of the first pressure sensor chip MLX90830 using new patented Triphibian™ technology . This MEMS pressure sensitive element adopts an unprecedented miniaturization design and can robustly measure the pressure of gas and liquid media in the range of 2 to 70 bar. This device is factory calibrated by Melexis to measure absolute pressure and provide a proportional analog output signal. The MLX90830 simplifies module integration with the latest electric vehicle (EV) thermal management systems, making the module more cost-effective.

With Melexis' breakthrough Triphibian™ technology at its core, the MLX90830 not only enables MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) sensors to achieve precise measurements well above 5bar, but also enables liquid contact measurements. The MLX90830 is uniquely constructed to achieve an innovative breakthrough, enabling high-pressure sensing while being compatible with gases and liquids. The sensor chip is packaged in an SO16 wide-body package and is equipped with a suspended cantilever with a sensing film on its tip.

The sensor chip's suspended cantilever design provides pressure peak immunity up to 2000bar/msec and static burst pressure levels up to 210bar . The device provides two pressure range calibration ranges (10bar, 35bar) by default. Each pressure range calibration range is specifically tailored to the needs of electric vehicle thermal management systems, including low-pressure and high-pressure refrigeration circuits for refrigerants. The MLX90830 design is more robust compared to backside-exposed solutions because there is still a pressure differential between the glass base side and the wire bonding side. In addition, the pressure equalization principle also applies to cryogenic media, so the MLX90830 can operate in such conditions, which is a first for MEMS pressure-sensitive components.

Compared with existing non-MEMS designs, MLX90830's design is more accurate and robust, helping to optimize the efficiency of vehicle thermal management systems and enabling longer driving distances. In addition, its compact embedded package reduces the size of the sensor chip compared to independent sensor chip modules.

The MLX90830 contains sensors, signal processing circuits, digital hardware, voltage regulators and analog output driver chips. Piezoresistive elements implanted in the sensing membrane form a Wheatstone bridge to generate the output signal. This signal is amplified and converted into a digital signal, temperature compensated through 16-bit digital signal processing (DSP), and finally provided as an analog voltage output through a digital-to-analog converter.

The sensor chip has advanced protection mechanisms to prevent overvoltage (above +40V) and reverse voltage (below -40V), making it ideal for large vehicle applications. MLX90830 is an independent safety unit (SEooC) developed in accordance with the ISO26262 standard and supports ASIL B level system integration to ensure that the latest electric vehicle safety requirements are met.

"Miniaturized MEMS pressure-sensitive components based on Triphibian™ technology and precisely factory-calibrated by Melexis can centralize the thermal management system of electric vehicles, reducing system size and improving reliability." said Karel Claesen, pressure sensor chip product manager, " Customers can design the MLX90830 into a standalone pressure sensor or easily embed it into a system."

"With Triphibian™ technology, MEMS sensor chips can increase the measurable pressure levels and expand the applicable media types." explained Laurent Otte, senior product line manager. "Melexis has solved problems that could not be solved with MEMS technology before. Now we can By measuring the pressure of liquid media, it opens up new possibilities for applications in the automotive industry and other fields."