Sensor and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12492898-B2
Application number	US-202318172455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2023
Priority date	Aug 16, 2022
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a base body, a support member, and a movable member. The base body includes a first face including a first base region. The support member is fixed to the first base region. The support member includes a support portion and an extending portion. The extending portion is connected to the support portion. The extending portion extends along a second direction crossing a first direction from the first base region to the support portion. A first width of the support portion in a third direction crossing a plane including the first direction and the second direction is wider than a second width of the extending portion in the third direction. The movable member is supported by the extending portion. A first gap is provided between the first face and the movable member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensor, comprising:
a base body including a first face including a first base region; a support member fixed to the first base region, the support member including a support portion and an extending portion, the extending portion being connected to the support portion, the extending portion extending along a second direction crossing a first direction from the first base region to the support portion, a first width of the support portion in a third direction crossing a plane including the first direction and the second direction being wider than a second width of the extending portion in the third direction; and a movable member supported by the extending portion, a first gap being provided between the first face and the movable member, wherein
the support member includes a support conductive portion and a support insulating portion,
a portion of a support insulating portion is provided between the first face and a portion of the support conductive portion,
another portion of the support insulating portion is provided between the first face and another portion of the support conductive portion, and
the another portion of the support insulating portion protrudes from the support conductive portion in a direction which crosses a first direction from the first base region to the support member.

2 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a second gap is provided between the base body and a part of the extending portion.

3 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first width is a length of the portion of the support insulating portion in the third direction, and the second width is a length of the other portion of the support insulating portion in the third direction.

4 . The sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the support insulating portion includes at least one selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen, and at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon and aluminum.

5 . The sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the supporting conductive portion includes silicon.

6 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first width is not less than 2 times and not more than 1000 times the second width.

7 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the movable member includes a first connection portion and a first movable portion, the first connection portion is located between the extending portion and a part of the first movable portion, the first connection portion is supported by the extending portion, and the first connection portion supports the first movable portion.

8 . The sensor according to claim 7 , wherein the first connection portion has a meander structure.

9 . The sensor according to claim 7 , wherein
the movable member further includes a first movable extending portion, the first movable extending portion is provided between the first connection portion and the first movable portion, and a direction from the extending portion to the first movable extending portion is along the second direction.

10 . The sensor according to claim 7 , wherein the first movable portion is provided around the support portion in a plane crossing the first direction.

11 . The sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
the support member includes a plurality of the extending portions and a plurality of the first connecting portions, and one of the plurality of first connecting portions is connected to one of the plurality of extending portions.

12 . The sensor according to claim 7 , further comprising a fixed conductive member,
the first face further including a second base region, the fixed conductive member being fixed to the second base region, and the fixed conductive member facing the movable member in a direction crossing the first direction.

13 . The sensor according to claim 12 , wherein
the first movable portion includes a hole along the first direction, and the fixed conductive member passes through the hole.

14 . The sensor according to claim 12 , further comprising a controller,
the controller being configured to vibrate the movable member by applying an AC signal between the support member and the fixed conductive member.

15 . The sensor according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a state of a vibration of the movable member being configured to change according to a rotational force applied to the movable member.

16 . An electronic device, comprising:
the sensor according to claim 1 ; and a circuit controller configured to control a circuit based on a signal obtained from the sensor.

17 . The device according to claim 16 , wherein the electronic device includes at least one of a robot or a mobile body.

18 . A sensor, comprising:
a base body including a first face including a first base region; a support member fixed to the first base region, the support member including a support conductive portion and a support insulating portion, a portion of the support insulating portion being provided between the first face and the support conductive portion, another portion of the support insulating portion not overlapping the support conductive portion; and a movable member supported by the support member, a first gap being provided between the first face and the movable member, wherein the another portion of the support insulating portion protrudes from the support conductive portion in a direction which crosses a first direction from the first base region to the support member.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Miyazaki Fumito
• Hiraga Hiroki
• Uchida Kengo
• Kaji Shiori
• Tomizawa Yasushi
• Masunishi Kei
• Ono Daiki
• Gando Ryunosuke

Classifications

• G01C19/56 Primary

  Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces · CPC title

• G01C19/5755 Primary

  the devices having a single sensing mass · CPC title