Offset rejection electrodes

• US 10,466,268 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2018
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invensense Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Invensense Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Matthew Julian, Williams, Kirt Reed
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolduc, David J
• Application Number:
  US15/916,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20180196082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/025 Inertial sensors not provided for in B81B2201/0235 - B81B2201/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0307 Anchors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/04 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0086 Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0016 Protection against shocks or vibrations, e.g. vibration damping
• 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

A MEMS sensor that comprises a sensing reference plane, at least one anchor coupled to the sensing reference plane, wherein the sensing reference plane is divided by a first and a second axis forming four quadrants on the sensing reference plane, at least one proof mass coupled to the at least one anchor, wherein one of the at least one proof mass moves under an external excitation, and a pattern of sensing elements on the sensing reference plane to detect motion normal of the at least one proof mass relative to the sensing reference plane, wherein the pattern of sensing elements comprises at least three sensing elements in each of the four quadrants.

Claims

1. A MEMS sensor, comprising:

a substrate, wherein the substrate is divided by a first and a second axis forming four quadrants on the substrate;

at least one anchor coupled to the substrate;

at least one spring coupled to the at least one anchor;

at least one proof mass coupled to the at least one anchor by the at least one spring, wherein one of the at least one proof mass moves under an external excitation; and

a pattern of sensing elements on the substrate to detect motion of the at least one proof mass relative to the substrate, wherein the pattern of sensing elements comprises at least three sensing elements in each of the four quadrants.

2. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein in each of the four the closest sensing element and the furthest sensing element, relative to one of the first or second axes, is of a first polarity and in between the closest sensing element and the furthest sensing element there is at least one sensing element of a second polarity.

3. The MEMS sensor of claim 2, wherein the first polarity is opposite of the second polarity.

4. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein there is polarity anti-symmetry of the four quadrants about at least one of the first or the second axis.

5. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein a center of the at least one anchor coincides with an intersection of the first and the second axis.

6. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein a centroid of the at least three sensing elements in each of the four quadrants shares a common distance from at least one of the first or the second axis.

7. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the at least three sensing elements are any of circular, rectangular, square, hexagonal, octagonal, annular sectors, and polygonal in shape.

8. The MEMS sensor of claim 3, wherein a sensing element area is substantially the same between the first and the second polarity.

9. The MEMS sensor of claim 2, wherein the pattern of sensing elements comprises sensing electrodes forming a variable capacitor between each electrode and the at least one proof mass.

10. A MEMS sensor, comprising:

a substrate, wherein the substrate is divided by a first and a second axis forming four quadrants on the substrate;

at least one anchor coupled to the substrate;

at least one proof mass coupled to the at least one anchor, wherein one of the at least one proof mass moves under an external excitation; and

a pattern of sensing elements on the substrate to detect motion of the at least one proof mass relative to the substrate, wherein the pattern of sensing elements comprises four sensing elements in each of the four quadrants, each of the four quadrants comprising two outside sensing electrodes of a first polarity and two inside sensing electrodes of a second polarity, wherein the two inside sensing electrodes are adjacent.

11. The MEMS sensor of claim 10, wherein the first polarity is opposite of the second polarity.

12. The MEMS sensor of claim 10, wherein there is polarity anti-symmetry of the four quadrants about at least one of the first or the second axis.

13. The MEMS sensor of claim 10, wherein a center of the at least one anchor coincides with an intersection of the first and the second axis.

14. The MEMS sensor of claim 10, wherein a centroid of the at least three sensing elements in each of the four quadrants shares a common distance from at least one of the first or the second axis.

15. The MEMS sensor of claim 10, wherein each of the at least three sensing elements are any of circular, rectangular, square, hexagonal, octagonal, annular sectors, and polygonal in shape.

16. The MEMS sensor of claim 11, wherein a sensing element area is substantially the same between the first and the second polarity.

17. The MEMS sensor of claim 10, wherein the pattern of sensing elements comprises sensing electrodes forming a variable capacitor between each electrode and the at least one proof mass.