Micromechanical component and production method for a micromechanical component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10868231-B2
Application number	US-201715665508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A micromechanical component having at least one electromechanical flexible structure, each of which includes a first piezoelectric layer, a first outer electrode situated on a first side of the first piezoelectric layer, a first intermediate electrode situated on a second side, oriented away from the first side, of the first piezoelectric layer, a second piezoelectric layer situated on a side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, and a second outer electrode situated on a side of the second piezoelectric layer oriented away from the first intermediate electrode, the at least one electromechanical flexible structure having in each case a second intermediate electrode that is situated on the side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, between the second piezoelectric layer and the first intermediate electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micromechanical component, comprising:
at least one electromechanical flexible structure, each of which includes:
a first piezoelectric layer,
a first outer electrode situated on a first side of the first piezoelectric layer,
a first intermediate electrode situated on a second side, oriented away from the first side, of the first piezoelectric layer,
a second piezoelectric layer situated on a side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, and
a second outer electrode situated on a side of the second piezoelectric layer oriented away from the first intermediate electrode;

wherein the at least one electromechanical flexible structure has in each case a second intermediate electrode that is situated on the side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, between the second piezoelectric layer and the first intermediate electrode,
wherein an intermediate volume between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode is (i) partly filled with at least one electrically insulating material and (ii) has at least one intermediate gap having air, at least one gas, or a vacuum therein,
wherein at least one mechanical connecting element made of the at least one electrically insulating material is formed in the intermediate volume between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode, the mechanical connecting element extending in each case from the first intermediate electrode to the second intermediate electrode and limiting the at least one intermediate gap having air, the at least one gas, or a vacuum therein.

2. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of mechanical connecting elements is fashioned, as the at least one mechanical connecting element, in the intermediate volume between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode, and a respective intermediate gap, having air, the at least one gas, or a vacuum therein, being formed between each two adjacent mechanical connecting elements.

3. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second intermediate electrode is electrically connected to the first outer electrode in such a way that the second intermediate electrode and the first outer electrode are at the same potential.

4. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 1 , wherein the micromechanical component has at least one first electrical contact connected electrically to the respective second outer electrode of the at least one electromechanical flexible structure, and has at least one second electrical contact connected electrically to the respective first intermediate electrode of the at least one electromechanical flexible structure.

5. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 1 , wherein a multiplicity of etching accesses extend through the second outer electrode, the second piezoelectric layer, and the second intermediate electrode.

6. A microphone, including a micromechanical component, the micromechanical component comprising:
at least one electromechanical flexible structure, each of which includes:
a first piezoelectric layer,
a first outer electrode situated on a first side of the first piezoelectric layer,
a first intermediate electrode situated on a second side, oriented away from the first side, of the first piezoelectric layer,
a second piezoelectric layer situated on a side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, and
a second outer electrode situated on a side of the second piezoelectric layer oriented away from the first intermediate electrode;

wherein the at least one electromechanical flexible structure has in each case a second intermediate electrode that is situated on the side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, between the second piezoelectric layer and the first intermediate electrode,
wherein an intermediate volume between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode is (i) partly filled with at least one electrically insulating material and (ii) has at least one intermediate gap having air, at least one gas, or a vacuum therein,
wherein at least one mechanical connecting element made of the at least one electrically insulating material is formed in the intermediate volume between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode, the mechanical connecting element extending in each case from the first intermediate electrode to the second intermediate electrode and limiting the at least one intermediate gap having air, the at least one gas, or a vacuum therein.

7. A pressure and/or force sensor, including a micromechanical component, the micromechanical component comprising:
at least one electromechanical flexible structure, each of which includes:
a first piezoelectric layer,
a first outer electrode situated on a first side of the first piezoelectric layer,
a first intermediate electrode situated on a second side, oriented away from the first side, of the first piezoelectric layer,
a second piezoelectric layer situated on a side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, and
a second outer electrode situated on a side of the second piezoelectric layer oriented away from the first intermediate electrode;

wherein the at least one electromechanical flexible structure has in each case a second intermediate electrode that is situated on the side of the first intermediate electrode oriented away from the first piezoelectric layer, between the second piezoelectric layer and the first intermediate electrode,
wherein an intermediate volume between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode is (i) partly filled with at least one electrically insulating material and (ii) has at least one intermediate gap having air, at least one gas, or a vacuum therein,
wherein at least one mechanical connecting element made of the at least one electrically insulating material is formed in the intermediate volume between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode, the mechanical connecting element extending in each case from the first intermediate electrode to the second intermediate electrode and limiting the at least one intermediate gap having air, the at least one gas, or a vacuum therein.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Buck Thomas
• Purki Fabian
• Doessel Kerrin

Classifications

• G01L1/16 Primary

  using properties of piezoelectric devices · CPC title

• H04R2201/003

  Mems transducers or their use · CPC title

• H04R17/02

  Microphones · CPC title

• G01L9/008

  using piezoelectric devices (piezoelectric resonators G01L9/0022; surface acoustic waves G01L9/0025) · CPC title

• H01L41/053

  Electricity · mapped topic