Functional element, physical quantity sensor, electronic apparatus and mobile entity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9828235-B2
Application number	US-201514696709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2015
Priority date	May 1, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

An acceleration sensor includes a substrate, a support beam, a weight body a stationary section and an engaging section. The weight body is divided into a first weight section and a second weight section based on the support beam as a boundary line, and the first weight section and the second weight section have different weights from each other. The first weight section and the second weight section include a facing section which faces a side of the engaging section opposite to a side facing the support beam. In an X axis direction intersecting the Y axis direction, if a distance between a corner section of the engaging section in the vicinity of one end portion and the support beam is L1 and a distance between the engaging section and the facing section is L2, a relational expression, L1>L2 is satisfied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A functional element comprising:
a substrate which has a recess and a ledge, the ledge surrounding the recess in a plan view, the ledge having first and second ledge sides opposite to each other, the first and second ledge sides extending in a first direction;
a support beam which extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between the first ledge side and the second ledge side, the support beam being spaced apart from the first and second ledge sides, the support beam being spaced apart from a bottom surface of the recess of the substrate;
a weight body which is physically connected at a first position of the support beam, a periphery of the weight body is spaced apart from the ledge in the plan view, the weight body swinging in a third direction intersecting the bottom surface of the recess; and
a stationary member which is connected at a second position of the support beam, the stationary member extending from the bottom surface of the recess so as to be fixed to the substrate,
wherein a longest spaced distance between an edge of the stationary member and an edge of the support beam directly facing each other in the first direction is L1,
a longest spaced distance between an edge of the stationary member and an edge of the weight body directly facing each other in the first direction is L2, and L1>L2.

2. The functional element according to claim 1 ,
wherein a corner of the stationary member facing the support beam is cut off or rounded in the plan view.

3. The functional element according to claim 1 ,
wherein a protrusion is provided at one of the edge of the stationary member and the edge of the weight body between which L2 is defined, the protrusion protrudes toward the other of the edge of the stationary member and the edge of the weight body, and
wherein a spaced distance between a tip of the protrusion and the other of the edge of the stationary member and the edge of the weight body corresponds to L2.

4. The functional element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the weight body is divided into a first weight section and a second weight section with respect to the support beam as a boundary line, the first weight section and the second weight section have different weights from each other, and the first weight section and the second weight section are provided with first and second movable electrodes, respectively, and
wherein the substrate includes a first stationary electrode and a second stationary electrode, the first stationary electrode is overlapped with the first movable electrode in the plan view, and the second stationary electrode is overlapped with the second movable electrode in the plan view.

5. The functional element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the support beam and the stationary member are disposed inside of the weight body in the plan view.

6. The functional element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the support beam and the stationary member are disposed outside of the weight body in the plan view.

7. A physical quantity sensor comprising the functional element according to claim 1 .

8. An electronic apparatus comprising the functional element according to claim 1 .

9. A mobile entity comprising the functional element according to claim 1 .

10. The functional element according to claim 2 ,
wherein a protrusion is provided at one of the edge of the stationary member and the edge of the weight body between which L2 is defined, the protrusion protrudes toward the other of the edge of the stationary member and the edge of the weight body, and
wherein a spaced distance between a tip of the protrusion and the other of the edge of the stationary member and the edge of the weight body corresponds to L2.

11. The functional element according to claim 2 ,
wherein the weight body is divided into a first weight section and a second weight section with respect to the support beam as a boundary line, the first weight section and the second weight section have different weights from each other, and the first weight section and the second weight section are provided with first and second movable electrodes, respectively, and
wherein the substrate includes a first stationary electrode and a second statutory electrode, the first statutory electrode is overlapped with the first movable electrode in the plan view, and the second stationary electrode is overlapped with the second movable electrode in the plan view.

12. The functional element according to claim 3 ,
wherein the weight body is divided into a first weight section and a second weight section with respect to the support beam as a boundary line, the first weight section and the second weight section have different weights from each other, and the first weight section and the second weight section are provided with the first and second movable electrodes, respectively, and
wherein the substrate includes a first stationary electrode and a second stationary electrode, the first stationary electrode is overlapped with the first movable electrode in the plan view, and the second stationary electrode is overlapped with the second movable electrode in the plan view.

13. The functional element according to claim 2 ,
wherein the support beam and the stationary member are disposed inside of the weight body in the plan view.

14. The functional element according to claim 12 ,
wherein the support beam and the stationary member are disposed inside of the weight body in the plan view.

15. The functional element according to claim 2 ,
wherein the support beam and the stationary member are disposed outside of the weight body in the plan view.

16. The functional element according to claim 12 ,
wherein the support beam and the stationary member are disposed outside of the weight body in the plan view.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Satoru

Classifications

• B81B2203/0181

  See-saws · CPC title

• 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

• G01C19/5656

  the devices involving a micromechanical structure · CPC title

• G01P15/125

  by capacitive pick-up · CPC title

• G01P2015/0814

  for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type · CPC title