Physical quantity sensor and electronic apparatus

• US 10,338,093 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yoda, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Xin Y
• Application Number:
  US15/784,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20180038889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• 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

Abstract

An acceleration sensor includes a base substrate provided with a first recess part, and a sensor part located on the first recess part and swingably supported in a depth direction of the first recess part by a support part, wherein the sensor part is sectioned into a first part and a second part by the support part, includes a movable electrode part in the first part and the second part, a through hole is provided at least at an end side in the second part larger in mass than the first part, and the base substrate includes a fixed electrode part in a position opposed to the movable electrode part in the first recessed part, and a second recess part deeper than the first recess part is provided in a position opposed to the end side of the sensor part.

Claims

1. A physical quantity sensor comprising:

a base substrate, the base substrate including;

a first recess having a first bottom surface;

a second recess having a second bottom surface, the second recess being located directly adjacent to the first recess, the second bottom surface being deeper than the first bottom surface;

a first fixed electrode that is provided on the first bottom surface; and

a second fixed electrode that is provided on the first bottom surface, the second fixed electrode being located directly adjacent to the first fixed electrode; and

a sensor member that is made of a low-resistance silicon material and that is located above the base substrate, the sensor member including;

a first part that faces the first fixed electrode via a first gap;

a second part that faces the second fixed electrode via a second gap, the second part being located directly adjacent to the first part, the second part being larger in mass than the first part so that the second part has an additional mass area at an edge of the second part, the additional mass area having three sides;

a first overlapped area in the first part overlapped between the first part and the first fixed electrode in a plan view corresponding to a first sensor electrode; and

a second overlapped area in the second part overlapped between the second part and the second fixed electrode in the plan view corresponding to a second sensor electrode;

a conductor that is provided on the second bottom surface of the second recess,

wherein the first fixed electrode is configured to detect a first electrostatic capacitance between the first part and the first fixed electrode, and the second fixed electrode is configured to detect a second electrostatic capacitance between the second part and the second fixed electrode,

the sensor member is swingable around an axis that is located between the first and second parts,

the second recess is overlapped with the additional mass area of the sensor member in the plan view,

the additional mass area is laterally shifted from the second fixed electrode in the plan view,

the conductor outwardly extends away from the three sides of the additional mass area in the plan view, and

the first bottom surface of the first recess is located higher than a top surface of the conductor in the second recess in a cross sectional view.

2. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the conductor is electrically connected to the sensor member.

3. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

first and second supports that support the sensor member, the first and second supports extending along the axis,

wherein the axis passes through the first and second supports.

4. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2, further comprising:

first and second supports that support the sensor member, the first and second supports extending along the axis,

wherein the axis passes through the first and second supports.

5. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a through hole that is provided in at least one of the first part and the second part.

6. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a through hole that is provided in at least one of the first part and the second part.

7. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3, further comprising:

a through hole that is provided in at least one of the first part and the second part.

8. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 4, further comprising:

a through hole that is provided in at least one of the first part and the second part.

9. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the base substrate is made of an insulating material.

10. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 2,

wherein the base substrate is made of an insulating material.

11. The physical quantity sensor according to claim 3,

wherein the base substrate is made of an insulating material.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising the physical quantity sensor according to claim 1.

13. An electronic apparatus comprising the physical quantity sensor according to claim 2.