Acceleration sensor including improved mass body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697995-B2
Application number	US-201815932213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2018
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

An acceleration sensor with an improved membrane (mass body) is provided. The membrane includes a moving portion, a moving portion electrically separated from the moving portion, and a mechanical junction portion that mechanically connects the moving portion and the moving portion in a y-axis direction. The mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the y-axis direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the y-axis direction in an xy plane, and is formed to have a non-linear shape in an x-axis direction. The acceleration sensor with improved the membrane stably operates by reducing a variation in a capacity value of a detection electrode and has an excellent noise characteristic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An acceleration sensor, comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate which is provided so as to be separated from the first substrate in a first direction; and
a mass body which is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and is displaceable in the first direction,
wherein the mass body includes a first moving portion, a second moving portion which is electrically separated from the first moving portion, and a first mechanical junction portion which mechanically connects the first moving portion and the second moving portion to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
wherein the first mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the second direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the second direction, in a plane orthogonal to the first direction,
wherein each of the first moving portion, the second moving portion, and the first mechanical junction portion includes an insulating material, a first conductive layer formed on a first surface of the insulating material, and a second conductive layer formed on a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface of the insulating material,
wherein the first conductive layer constituting the first moving portion and the first conductive layer constituting the second moving portion are separated from each other by a first gap formed in the first conductive layer of the first mechanical junction portion,
wherein the second conductive layer constituting the first mechanical junction portion is provided below the first gap,
wherein the second conductive layer constituting the first moving portion and the second conductive layer constituting the first mechanical junction portion are separated from each other by a second gap, and
wherein the second conductive layer constituting the second moving portion and the second conductive layer constituting the first mechanical junction portion are separated from each other by a third gap.

2. The acceleration sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second conductive layer constituting the first mechanical junction portion DC-electrically floats.

3. The acceleration sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second conductive layer is formed below the first gap and the first conductive layer is formed above the second gap and the third gap when seen in a cross-sectional view.

4. The acceleration sensor according to claim 3 ,
wherein the insulating material between the first gap and the second conductive layer is removed, and the insulating materials between the second gap and the first conductive layer and between the third gap and the first conductive layer are removed.

5. An acceleration sensor, comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate which is provided so as to be separated from the first substrate in a first direction; and
a mass body which is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and is displaceable in the first direction,
wherein the mass body includes a first moving portion, a second moving portion which is electrically separated from the first moving portion, and a first mechanical junction portion which mechanically connects the first moving portion and the second moving portion to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
wherein the first mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the second direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the second direction, in a plane orthogonal to the first direction, and
wherein the first mechanical junction portion in the first portion extends in the second direction, and the first mechanical junction portion in the second portion extends in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction.

6. The acceleration sensor according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first mechanical junction portion has a meander shape in a plane orthogonal to the first direction.

7. An acceleration sensor, comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate which is provided so as to be separated from the first substrate in a first direction; and
a mass body which is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and is displaceable in the first direction,
wherein the mass body includes a first moving portion, a second moving portion which is electrically separated from the first moving portion, and a first mechanical junction portion which mechanically connects the first moving portion and the second moving portion to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
wherein the first mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the second direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the second direction, in a plane orthogonal to the first direction,
wherein the mass body further includes a third moving portion which is electrically separated from the first moving portion and the second moving portion, and a second mechanical junction portion that mechanically connects the second moving portion and the third moving portion to each other in the second direction, and
wherein the second mechanical junction portion includes a third portion extending in a direction having a third angle with respect to the second direction and a fourth portion extending in a direction having a fourth angle different from the third angle with respect to the second direction in a plane orthogonal to the first direction.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Isobe Atsushi
• Kamada Yuudai
• Takubo Chisaki
• Sakuma Noriyuki
• Sekiguchi Tomonori

Classifications

• G01P2015/0831

  the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration · CPC title

• G01P15/097

  by vibratory elements · CPC title

• G01P15/125 Primary

  by capacitive pick-up · CPC title