Sensor and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12546602-B2
Application number	US-202318175238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2023
Priority date	Jul 14, 2022
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a base body including a first face, a first support portion, a first movable portion, and a first insulating member. The first face includes a first base region, a second base region, and a third base region. The first support portion is fixed to the third base region. The first movable portion is supported by the first support portion. The first movable portion includes a first movable region and a second movable region. A first gap is provided between the first base region and the first movable region. The first insulating member is fixed to the second base region, and located between the second base region and the second movable region in a first direction from the third base region to the first support portion. A second gap is provided between the first insulating member and the second movable region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensor, comprising:
a base body including a first face, the first face including a first base region, a second base region, and a third base region; a first support portion fixed to the third base region; a first movable portion supported by the first support portion, the first movable portion including a first movable region and a second movable region, a first gap being provided between the first base region and the first movable region; a first insulating member fixed to the second base region, the first insulating member being located between the second base region and the second movable region in a first direction from the third base region to the first support portion, a second gap being provided between the first insulating member and the second movable region, a second distance between the first insulating member and the second movable region along the first direction being shorter than a first distance between the first base region and the first movable region along the first direction; and a first fixed electrode fixed to the first face, the first fixed electrode facing the first movable portion in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a position of any portion of the first insulating member in a plane crossing the first direction being different from a position of the first fixed electrode in the plane.

2 . The sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first connecting portion supported by the first support portion, and the first connecting portion connecting the first movable portion to the first support portion.

3 . The sensor according to claim 2 , wherein
the first face further includes a fourth base region, and a third gap is provided between the fourth base region and the first connecting portion.

4 . The sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the second distance is shorter than a third distance along the first direction between the fourth base region and the first connecting portion.

5 . The sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising
a second insulating member, the first face further including a fourth base region; the second insulating member being fixed to the fourth base region, and a fourth gap being provided between the second insulating member and the first connecting portion.

6 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first movable portion includes a hole being along the first direction, and a part of the first fixed electrode passes through the hole.

7 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first insulating member and the first support portion is longer than a distance between the first fixed electrode and the first support portion.

8 . The sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
a controller, the first movable portion being electrically connected to the first support portion, and the controller being configured to supply an AC voltage between the first movable portion and the first fixed electrode.

9 . The sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first fixed insulating portion provided between the base body and the first fixed electrode, the first insulating member including a material included in the first fixed insulating portion.

10 . The sensor according to claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the first insulating member along the first direction is not less than 0.8 times and not more than 1.2 times a thickness of the first fixed insulating portion along the first direction.

11 . The sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first support insulating portion provided between the third base region and the first support portion, the first insulating member including a material included in the first support insulating portion.

12 . The sensor according to claim 11 , wherein a thickness of the first insulating member along the first direction is not less than 0.8 times and not more than to 1.2 times a thickness of the first support insulating portion along the first direction.

13 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first insulating member includes silicon oxide, and the first movable portion includes silicon.

14 . The sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an opposing substrate including a second face; a first opposing electrode layer fixed to the second face; and a first support electrode layer fixed to the first support portion, the first support portion and the first movable portion being provided between the first face and the second face, the first support electrode layer facing the first opposing electrode layer, the first support electrode layer being electrically connected to the first opposing electrode layer, and a fifth gap being provided between the first movable portion and the second face.

15 . The sensor according to claim 14 , further comprising
an opposing substrate member fixed to the second face, a sixth gap being provided between the first movable portion and the opposing substrate member.

16 . The sensor according to claim 15 , wherein the opposing substrate member includes a material included in the first opposing electrode layer.

17 . 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.

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

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G01C19/5733

  Structural details or topology · CPC title

• G01C19/5769 Primary

  Manufacturing; Mounting; Housings · CPC title

• G01C19/5677 Primary

  of essentially two-dimensional [2D] vibrators, e.g. ring-shaped vibrators · CPC title