Physical quantity sensor, sensor device, electronic device, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459228-B2
Application number	US-201916531694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2019
Priority date	Aug 6, 2018
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A physical quantity sensor includes a substrate, a movable body that is provided displaceably in a state of being opposed to the substrate and is provided with a first through-hole and a second through-hole as through-holes, and a protrusion configured integrally with the substrate at a side of the movable body of the substrate, and in which the protrusion is provided at a position where the protrusion overlaps the through-hole and the movable body in plan view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A physical quantity sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a movable body that is provided displaceably in a state of being opposed to the substrate and is provided with a plurality of damping holes and a through-hole, wherein the plurality of damping holes are disposed uniformly over the movable body, the through-hole is disposed at a side of the movable body, wherein each of the plurality of damping holes has a same size or shape, and the through-hole has a different shape from that of the damping holes; and
a protrusion configured to be integrated with the substrate, wherein;
a tip portion of the protrusion has a first width,
a base portion of the protrusion has a second width that is greater than the first width,
the tip portion is a portion that protrudes further out of the substrate than the base portion,
the protrusion is provided at a position corresponding to the through-hole of the movable body in plan view, such that a center of the protrusion overlaps the through-hole, but does not overlap the damping holes,
a width of the through-hole is W 1 ,
a width of the tip portion of the protrusion is W 2 , and
W 1 <W 2 , such that any portion of the protrusion is prevented from entering into the through-hole.

2. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrode that is opposed to the movable body and is provided on the substrate, wherein
the protrusion is covered with a conductor layer having the same potential as the electrode.

3. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2 , wherein
the conductor layer is configured integrally with the electrode.

4. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2 , wherein
the conductor layer is covered with an insulating layer.

5. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 4 , wherein
the insulating layer is a silicon oxide film.

6. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2 , wherein
the movable body is provided swingably around a swing central axis and is divided into a first movable portion and a second movable portion with the swing central axis as a boundary in plan view, and
the electrode includes a first electrode that is opposed to the first movable portion and is disposed on the substrate and a second electrode that is opposed to the second movable portion and is disposed on the substrate.

7. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 6 , wherein
an area of the second movable portion is larger than an area of the first movable portion in plan view.

8. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the protrusion is provided with a recess open to the side of the movable body.

9. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of protrusions is provided at positions parallel to a swing central axis.

10. A physical quantity sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a movable body that is provided displaceably in a state of being opposed to the substrate and is provided with a plurality of damping holes and a first recess at a side of the movable body, wherein the plurality of damping holes are disposed uniformly over the movable body, the first recess is disposed at a side of the movable body, wherein each of the plurality of damping holes has a same size or shape, and the first recess has a different shape from that of the damping holes; and
a protrusion configured to be integrated with the substrate at a side of the protrusion that corresponds to the side of the movable body, such that when the movable body swings, the first recess of the movable body and the protrusion of the substrate oppose against each other, wherein:
a tip portion of the protrusion has a first width,
a base portion of the protrusion has a second width that is greater than the first width,
the tip portion is a portion that protrudes further out of the substrate than the base portion,
the protrusion is provided at a position corresponding to the first recess, such that a center of the protrusion overlaps the first recess of the movable body in plan view,
a width of the first recess is W 1 ,
a width of the tip portion of the protrusion is W 2 , and
W 1 <W 2 , such that any portion of the protrusion is prevented from entering into the first recess.

11. An electronic device comprising:
the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1 ; and
a control unit that performs control based on a detection signal output from the physical quantity sensor.

12. An electronic device comprising:
the physical quantity sensor according to claim 10 ; and
a control unit that performs control based on a detection signal output from the physical quantity sensor.

13. A vehicle comprising:
the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1 ; and
a control unit that performs control based on a detection signal output from the physical quantity sensor.

14. A vehicle comprising:
the physical quantity sensor according to claim 10 ; and
a control unit that performs control based on a detection signal output from the physical quantity sensor.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Satoru

Classifications

• G01C19/5783

  Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719 · CPC title

• 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

• G01P15/125 Primary

  by capacitive pick-up · CPC title

• G01P2015/0871

  using stopper structures for limiting the travel of the seismic mass · CPC title

• B81B2207/012

  the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being separate parts in the same package · CPC title