Physical quantity sensor, physical quantity sensor device, electronic apparatus, and moving object

• US 10,168,350 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Huls, Natalie F
• Application Number:
  US15/187,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20170010298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

A physical quantity sensor includes an element piece, in which the element piece includes a support portion that includes a first support portion, a second support portion, and a third support portion that links the first and second support portions, and is connected to a base substrate at the third support portion, a movable electrode portion that is positioned between the first and second support portions, and includes a movable electrode finger, an elastic portion that links the movable electrode portion and the support portion and has elasticity, and a fixed electrode portions having fixed electrode fingers that are arranged facing the movable electrode finger.

Claims

1. A physical quantity sensor, comprising:

a substrate that is rectangular-shaped and that has a recess and a ledge, the ledge surrounding the recess in a plan view; and

an element piece that is movably bonded to the substrate, the element piece being configured with;

a support member that is rectangular-ring-shaped and that is located directly adjacent to a periphery of the recess in the plan view, the support member being configured with first, second, third, and fourth side bars connected to each other, the first and second side bars being opposite to each other and extending in a first direction, the third and fourth side bars being opposite to each other and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the third side bar being bonded to the ledge of the substrate so that the element piece is movably supported by the support member;

a first elastic member that is provided directly adjacent to the first side bar and that is elastically connected to part of the first side bar;

a second elastic member that is provided directly adjacent to the second side bar and that is elastically connected to part of the second side bar;

a movable electrode that is surrounded by the first and second elastic members, the third side bar, and the fourth side bar in the plan view, the movable electrode being movably connected to the support member via the first and second elastic members, the movable electrode having a plurality of movable electrode fingers that extend along the first direction; and

a fixed electrode that is surrounded by the movable electrode in the plan view, the fixed electrode being connected to the substrate at a first area of the recess, the fixed electrode having a plurality of fixed electrode fingers that extend along the first direction, side surfaces of the plurality of movable electrode fingers facing side surfaces of the plurality of fixed electrode fingers in the second direction.

2. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the third side bar is positioned further to a center of the substrate than the fourth portion side bar.

3. A physical quantity sensor device, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 2; and

an IC chip that is assembled with the physical quantity sensor and that is electrically connected to the physical quantity sensor.

4. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein only a midpoint area of the third side bar in the second direction is bonded to the ledge of the substrate.

5. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein a connection part of the third side bar is connected to the ledge of the substrate,

the first area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected and the connection part are on a first virtual linear line in the plan view, and

the first virtual linear line extends in the first direction.

6. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein the center area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected is shifted toward the third side bar from a center of the movable electrode in the plan view.

7. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein only a midpoint area of the third side bar in the second direction is bonded to the ledge of the substrate.

8. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 7,

wherein the first area of the recess and the midpoint area are on a first virtual linear line in the plan view, and the first virtual linear line extends in the first direction.

9. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 8,

wherein the first area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected is shifted toward the third side bar from a center of the recess in the plan view.

10. A physical quantity sensor device, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 7; and

an IC chip that is assembled with the physical quantity sensor and that is electrically connected to the physical quantity sensor.

11. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 7,

wherein the first area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected is shifted toward the third side bar from a center of the recess in the plan view.

12. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the first area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected is shifted toward the third side bar from a center of the recess in the plan view.

13. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 12,

wherein only a midpoint area of the third side bar in the second direction is bonded to the ledge of the substrate.

14. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 12,

wherein a connection part of the third bar is connected to the ledge of the substrate,

the first area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected and the connection part are on a first virtual linear line in the plan view, and

the first virtual linear line extends in the first direction.

15. A physical quantity sensor device, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1; and

an IC chip that is assembled with the physical quantity sensor and that is electrically connected to the physical quantity sensor.

16. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1;

a display; and

a case that encloses the physical quantity sensor and the display.

17. A moving object, comprising:

the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1; and

a movable body that encloses the physical quantity sensor.

18. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein a connection part of the third side bar is connected to the ledge of the substrate,

the first area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected and the connection part are on a first virtual linear line in the plan view, and

the first virtual linear line extends in the first direction.

19. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 18,

wherein the first area of the recess to which the fixed electrode is connected is shifted toward the third side bar from a center of the recess in the plan view.