Micro-electro-mechanical system device

• US 10,012,671 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Shih-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campbell, Irving A
• Application Number:
  US14/931,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20170122974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0831 the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0868 using self-test structures integrated into the microstructure
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

A MEMS device includes: a substrate; a proof mass suspended over the substrate, the proof mass including at least one proof mass body and a proof mass frame connected to and accommodating the proof mass body, the proof mass frame including at least one self-test frame; and at least one self-test electrode inside the self-test frame, and connected to the substrate; wherein when a voltage difference is applied between the self-test electrode and the self-test frame, the proof mass is driven to have an in-plane movement, and wherein the self-test electrode and the self-test frame do not form a sensing capacitor in between.

Claims

1. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising:

a substrate having a center and four sides;

a proof mass suspended over the substrate, the proof mass including at least one proof mass body and a proof mass frame connected to and surrounding the proof mass body, the proof mass body being located within the proof mass frame, and the proof mass frame including at least one self-test frame which is located at an outer side of the proof mass body, whereby the proof mass body is closer to the center of the substrate than the self-test frame is; and

at least one self-test electrode inside the self-test frame, and connected to the substrate;

wherein the at least one self-test electrode and the self-test frame are configured to receive a voltage difference in between for checking an offset of the proof mass or a flexibility of the structure of the MEMS device and when the voltage difference is applied between the self-test electrode and the self-test frame, the proof mass is driven to have an in-plane movement, and wherein a capacitance signal between the self-test electrode and the self-test frame is not used for calculating the in-plane movement of the proof mass.

2. The MEMS device of claim 1, further comprising at least one fixed electrode connected to the substrate, the proof mass further comprising at least one moving electrode, the at least one fixed electrode and the at least one moving electrode forming at least one sensing capacitor for sensing the in-plane movement of the proof mass.

3. The MEMS device of claim 1, further comprising at least one fixed electrode connected to the substrate or the proof mass frame, the proof mass body further comprising at least one moving electrode, the at least one fixed electrode and the at least one moving electrode forming at least one sensing capacitor for sensing the in-plane movement of the proof mass.

4. The MEMS device of claim 1, further comprising two proof mass bodies accommodated inside the proof mass frame, the two proof mass bodies being connected to each other by a linkage in between.

5. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein each self-test electrode has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, and a first distance between the first side and a part of the self-test frame nearest to the first side is different from a second distance between the second side and another part of the self-test frame nearest to the second side.

6. The MEMS device of claim 1, comprising at least two self-test electrodes and at least two self-test frames forming at least two self-test units respectively, wherein a first one of the at least two self-test units (first self-test unit) is for driving the in-plane movement in a first in-plane direction and a second one of the at least two self-test units (second self-test unit) is for driving the in-plane movement in a second in-plane direction, wherein the first in-plane direction is not parallel to the second in-plane direction.

7. The MEMS device of claim 6, wherein the self-test electrode of the first self-test unit has a rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction along the second in-plane direction, and the self-test electrode of the second self-test unit has a rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction along the first in-plane direction.

8. The MEMS device of claim 7, further comprising at least one out-of-plane self-test electrode located above or under the self-test frame in an out-of-plane direction, wherein when a voltage difference is applied between the out-of-plane self-test electrode and the self-test frame, the proof mass is driven to have an out-of-plane movement, and wherein the out-of-plane self-test electrode and the self-test frame do not form a sensing capacitor in between.

9. The MEMS device of claim 1, further comprising at least one out-of-plane fixed electrode connected to the substrate, the proof mass further comprising at least one out-of-plane moving electrode, the at least one out-of-plane fixed electrode and the at least one out-of-plane moving electrode forming at least one out-of-plane sensing capacitor for sensing an out-of-plane movement of the proof mass.

10. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein the proof mass body has four sides, and at least one self-test unit is provided outside each side of the proof mass body, and wherein the self-test unit is formed by one of the self-test electrodes and the self-test frame corresponding to the one of the self-test electrodes.

11. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein the proof mass frame includes a plurality of self-test frames and at least one self-test electrode is located inside each self-test frame, wherein the plurality of self-test frames form a continuous structure outside each side of the proof mass body, to enclose the proof mass body.