Mirco-electro-mechanical system device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9624090-B2
Application number	US-201514728153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Mar 5, 2015
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

The invention provides a micro-electro-mechanical system device including: a substrate; a proof mass, including an outer frame which inwardly defines an internal space, and at least one inner extension portion which is directly connected to the outer frame and inwardly extends from the outer frame; at least one compliant structure, located in the internal space, and directly connected to the corresponding inner extension portion; an anchor, located in the internal space and directly connected to the at least one compliant structure, the anchor being connected to the substrate; movable electrodes, located in the internal space and connected to the proof mass; and fixed electrodes, respectively located in correspondence to the movable electrodes, and being connected to the substrate through fixing portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising:
a substrate;
a proof mass, including an outer frame and at least one inner extension portion, the outer frame inwardly defining an internal space, the inner extension portion being directly connected to the outer frame and inwardly extending from the outer frame, wherein the inner extension portion and the outer frame are one integral piece such that the inner extension portion and the outer frame have the same motion in the same direction when the proof mass moves;
at least one compliant structure, located in the internal space, the at least one compliant structure being directly connected to the corresponding inner extension portion;
an anchor, located in the internal space and directly connected to the at least one compliant structure which assists a motion of the proof mass relative to the anchor, the anchor being connected to the substrate;
a plurality of movable electrodes, located in the internal space and connected to the proof mass; and
a plurality of fixed electrodes, respectively located in correspondence to the movable electrodes, and connected to the substrate through a plurality of fixing portions.

2. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the anchor is located at a geometric center or a mass center of the proof mass.

3. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the anchor is located in a distance to a mass center of the proof mass.

4. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the movable electrodes and the fixed electrodes includes: at least one movable electrode and at least one fixed electrode located along a first direction to sense a movement in the first direction, and at least another movable electrode and at least another fixed electrode located along a second direction to sense a movement in the second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are not parallel to each other.

5. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the movable electrodes and the fixed electrodes form one or more pairs of differential capacitors.

6. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the movable electrodes are connected to the at least one inner extension portion, or the outer frame; or the movable electrodes are connected to and between the at least one inner extension portion and the outer frame.

7. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the movable electrodes are located at two sides of the at least one inner extension portions, and the fixed electrodes are located at two sides of the at least one inner extension portions in correspondence to the movable electrodes.

8. The MEMS device of claim 1 , further comprises: a plurality of middle movable electrodes and a plurality of middle fixed electrodes, the middle movable electrodes being connected to the proof mass, wherein the middle movable electrodes are located at two sides of the anchor, and the middle fixed electrodes are correspondingly located at two sides of the anchor in correspondence to the middle movable electrodes.

9. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein a number of the at least one compliant structure is an even number, and the compliant structures respectively connect a corresponding even number of inner extension portions to the anchor.

10. The MEMS device of claim 9 , wherein the even number of compliant structures are two compliant structures or four compliant structures.

Assignees

• Wu Chia-Yu
• Lo Chiung-Cheng
• Richtek Technology Corp

Inventors

• Wu Chia-Yu
• Lo Chiung-Cheng

Classifications

• B81B3/0051 Primary

  For defining the movement, i.e. structures that guide or limit the movement of an element (mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock H01H3/60) · CPC title

• B81B2203/04

  Electrodes · CPC title

• B81B3/0027

  Structures for transforming mechanical energy, e.g. potential energy of a spring into translation, sound into translation · CPC title

• B81B3/0072 Primary

  For controlling internal stress or strain in moving or flexible elements, e.g. stress compensating layers · CPC title

• B81B2201/0235

  Accelerometers · CPC title