Accelerometer without proof mass
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A process for fabricating an accelerometer, comprising:
- (a) providing a substrate with a layer of electrically conductive material on said substrate;
(b) micromachining said substrate to form a central electrical heater, a pair of temperature sensitive elements, and a cavity beneath said heater and said temperature sensing elements, each temperature sensing element being spaced apart from said heater a distance in the range of 75 to 400 microns and said temperature sensing elements located on opposite sides of said heater, thereby forming an accelerometer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process for fabricating an accelerometer, which includes providing a substrate with a layer of electrically conductive material on the substrate, micromachining the substrate to form a central electrical heater, a pair of temperature sensitive elements, and a cavity beneath the heater and the temperature sensing elements. Each temperature sensing element is spaced apart from said heater a distance in the range of 75 to 400 microns. The temperature sensing elements are located on opposite sides of the heater, thereby forming an accelerometer.
16 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A process for fabricating an accelerometer, comprising:
-
(a) providing a substrate with a layer of electrically conductive material on said substrate;
(b) micromachining said substrate to form a central electrical heater, a pair of temperature sensitive elements, and a cavity beneath said heater and said temperature sensing elements, each temperature sensing element being spaced apart from said heater a distance in the range of 75 to 400 microns and said temperature sensing elements located on opposite sides of said heater, thereby forming an accelerometer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
17. A process for fabricating an accelerometer, comprising:
-
(a) heating an n-type silicon substrate at a dielectric forming temperature sufficiently high to form a first dielectric upon said substrate;
(b) depositing a layer of electrically conductive material over said first dielectric layer;
(c) forming a second dielectric layer over the layer of electrically conductive material;
(d) patterning the second dielectric layer over the layer of electrically conductive material to form three spaced apart bridges;
(e) etching the layer of electrically conductive material using the second dielectric layer as a mask down to the first dielectric layer covering said substrate, such that a central bridge of said three spaced apart bridges of electrically conductive material corresponds to a central electric heater and the other two of said bridges correspond to a pair of temperature sensing elements, one on each side of said central electric heater and spaced from said central heater a distance of 75 to 400 microns;
(f) heating the substrate so as to oxidize the side walls of the electrically conductive material in said bridges;
(g) patterning and etching the first and second dielectric layer above and below said bridges to create openings for bonding pads and to expose said substrate for formation of a space below said bridges; and
(h) patterning and etching a space below said bridges.
-
Specification