TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PRESSURE SENSOR

PURPOSE:To achieve a higher workability, by determining a zero-point output voltage and a zero-point temperature characteristic without connecting an external resistance to obtain an external resistance value from said results and a relationship between it and a value previously obtained in a preparation process. CONSTITUTION:A relationship is determined between a zero-point output voltage V0(T2) and a zero-point temperature characteristic S at a reference temperature T2 of a semiconductor pressure sensor beforehand by varying a value Rp of an external resistance 6. The relationship is also determined between the value Rp of the resistance 6 and the voltage V0(T2). To determine the value Rp of the resistance 6, first, an ambient pressure of the pressure sensor is set to the zero-point pressure without the connection of the resistance 6 and an ambient temperature is varied to a lower limit temperature T1, intermediate temperature T2 and upper limit temperature T3 in a service temperature range sequentially to obtain zero-point output voltages V0(T1), V0(T2) and V0(T3) between output terminals 7 and 8. Then, the temperature of the pressure sensor is set to the temperature T2 and the ambient pressure to an upper pressure to determine an output voltage Vmax(T2) and then the characteristic S. Finally, the value Rp of the resistance 6 is determined from the values and the relationships thus obtained.