Rotation-type decoupled MEMS gyroscope

• US 20030164041A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Hee-moon, Lee, Sang-woo, Lee, Byeung-leul, Kim, Jun-o
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5712 the devices involving a micromechanical structure

Abstract

A rotation-type decoupled MEMS gyroscope including a drive body movable about the X-axis, a sensing body movable about the Z-axis, a medium body moving together with the drive body about the X-axis and the sensing body about the Z-axis. The drive body is fixed on a substrate by a first torsion spring torsion-deformed about the X-axis, and the medium body is connected to the drive body by a first bending spring bending-deformed about the Z-axis. The sensing body is connected to the medium body by a second torsion spring torsion-deformed about the X-axis and fixed to the substrate by a second bending spring bending-deformed about the Z-axis. If angular velocity is applied relative to the Y-axis while the drive body vibrates in a certain range about the X-axis by a driving electrode, the sensing body rotates about the Z-axis by the Coriolis force and a sensing electrode senses the rotation.

Claims

1. A MEMS gyroscope, comprising:

a drive body disposed on a substrate to be movable about a first axis, the first axis being a rotation axis line parallel to a surface of the substrate;

a sensing body disposed on the substrate to be movable about a second axis, the second axis being a rotation axis line normal to the surface of the substrate;

a medium body disposed on the substrate, the medium body being capable of moving together with the drive body about the first axis and moving together with the sensing body about the second axis;

a driving electrode for driving the drive body in order for the drive body to vibrate in a certain range about the first axis; and

a sensing electrode for measuring a displacement of the sensing body rotating about the second axis by a Coriolis force generated by an application of an angular velocity while the drive body vibrates by the driving electrode.

2. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first torsion spring for fixing the drive body to the substrate, the first torsion spring being torsion-deformed in order for the drive body to rotate relative to the substrate about the first axis;

a first bending spring for fixing the medium body to the drive body, the first bending spring being bending-deformed in order for the medium body to rotate relative to the drive body about the second axis;

a second torsion spring for fixing the medium body to the sensing body, the second torsion spring being torsion-deformed in order for the medium body to rotate relative to the sensing body about the first axis; and

a second bending spring for fixing the sensing body to the substrate, the second bending spring being bending-deformed in order for the sensing body to rotate relative to the substrate about the second axis.

3. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least either the first torsion spring or the second torsion spring comprises:

a pair of plate-shaped beams disposed parallel to each other; and

a plurality of connection parts connecting the beams.

4. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second torsion spring comprises:

a first beam for being torsion-deformed with respect to the first axis; and

a second beam vertically connected to both ends of the first beam, for being torsion-deformed with respect to a third axis, the third axis being a rotation axis parallel to the surface of the substrate and perpendicular to the first axis.

5. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least either of the first bending spring or the second bending spring comprises a plurality of plate-shaped beams fixed to one another at a portion thereof.

6. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving electrode is formed in a comb structure.

7. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 5, wherein the driving electrode comprises:

a fixed electrode having a plurality of fixing walls vertically disposed on the substrate, formed in parallel to one another, and fixed to the substrate; and

a moving electrode disposed between two of the plurality of fixing walls, having a plurality of moving walls having a height less than a height of the plurality of fixing walls from the substrate, the moving electrode being connected to the drive body.

8. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing electrode comprises:

a fixed electrode connected to the substrate and having zigzag-shaped sides; and

a moving electrode connected to the sensing body and having a zigzag shape corresponding to the shape of the sides of the fixed electrode.

9. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 7, wherein as the moving electrode moves in relation to the fixed electrode, a distance between the moving electrode and the fixed electrode varies substantially uniformly at respective points over an entire length of the sides of the moving electrode and the fixed electrode, such that a distance between respective points along the length of the sides of the moving electrode and the fixed electrode is substantially uniform for any distance, and wherein the shape of the sides is expressed in formulae as below:

10. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive body and the medium body have a substantially rectangular frame shape.

11. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing body has a ring shape.

12. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 9, wherein the medium body is disposed in a space inside the drive body, and the sensing body is disposed in a space inside the medium body.

13. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of etching holes are formed in the drive body, medium body, and sensing body.

14. The MEMS gyroscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fixed electrode of the sensing electrode, the first torsion spring, and the first bending spring are connected by a common electrode pad and are electrically grounded.