Capacitive device

• US 20030210511A1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Mitsushima, Yasuichi, Fujitsuka, Norio, Funabashi, Hirofumi, Tsuchiya, Toshiyuki, Sakai, Minekazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,785,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/287
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/082 for two degrees of freedom of movement of a single mass

Abstract

A capacitive device includes a substrate, a movable electrode, and a fixed electrode. The movable electrode is located above a surface of the substrate and is movable with respect to the substrate along directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface. The fixed electrode is stationary with respect to the substrate. When the movable electrode is displaced in a first direction that is substantially orthogonal to the surface, the total sum of area-distance quotients in the overlap between the electrodes remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a first reduction rate that is substantially zero or more. On the other hand, when the movable electrode is displaced in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a second reduction rate that is substantially zero or more. The reduction rates are different from each other.

Claims

1. A capacitive device comprising:

a substrate;

a movable electrode, which is located above a surface of the substrate and is movable with respect to the substrate along directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface, wherein the movable electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the movable electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface; and

a fixed electrode, which is stationary with respect to the substrate, wherein the fixed electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the fixed electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces are substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces are substantially planar and substantially at the same level along the directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate before the movable electrode is displaced, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces confront each other and are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in a first direction that is substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, the total sum of area-distance quotients in an overlap between the electrode-confronting surfaces remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a first reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a second reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, and wherein the reduction rates are different from each other.

2. The capacitive device according to claim 1, wherein the movable electrode is displaced in response to an inertial force applied to the movable electrode to vary a capacitance formed between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the inertial force is correlated to a physical quantity to be detected by the capacitive device, and wherein the physical quantity is detected on the basis of the capacitance.

3. The capacitive device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a weight, which includes a surface that function as an optical mirror, wherein the movable electrode extends out of the weight; and

a pair of linking beams, which extend out of the weight in parallel to the surface of the substrate and are on the same axis, wherein the movable electrode is rotationally displaced around the axis, on which the linking beams are located, in response to an electrostatic force that is generated by applying a potential difference between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode in order to adjust an angle of the surface that function as the optical mirror.

4. The capacitive device according to claim 1 further comprising a vibration detecting means, wherein the movable electrode is vibrated along the directions substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate using an electrostatic force that is generated by applying a potential difference between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein when the capacitive device is rotated around an axis parallel to the surface of the substrate, another vibration along the directions that are substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate and orthogonal to the axis is generated due to Coriolis'"'"' force, and wherein an angular velocity of the rotation is measured by detecting the vibration generated due to Coriolis'"'"' force using the vibration detecting means.

5. The capacitive device according to claim 1, wherein one of the electrode-confronting surfaces is substantially planar, wherein the other of the electrode-confronting surfaces includes a first planar surface and a second planar surface, wherein the planar surfaces are substantially planar, wherein the first planar surface is located further away from the surface of the substrate than the second planar surface is, wherein the first planar surface is located further away from the one of the electrode-confronting surfaces than the second planar surface is.

6. The capacitive device according to claim 1, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces are substantially planar and wherein one of the electrode-confronting surfaces is longer than the other of the electrode-confronting surfaces along the directions substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate.

7. The capacitive device according to claim 5, wherein the one of the electrode-confronting surfaces, the first planar surface, and the second planar surface are rectangular.

8. The capacitive device according to claim 6, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces are rectangular.

9. The capacitive device according to claim 5, wherein a length of the second planar surface along the directions substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate ranges from 20% to 80% of that of the one of the electrode-confronting surfaces.

10. The capacitive device according to claim 6, wherein a length of the other of the electrode-confronting surfaces along the directions substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate ranges from 20% to 80% of that of the one of the electrode-confronting surfaces.

11. The capacitive device according to claim 1 further comprising another fixed electrode, which is stationary with respect to the substrate, wherein the another fixed electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the another fixed electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface, wherein the movable electrode includes another electrode-confronting surface, wherein the substrate-confronting surface of the another fixed electrode is substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces of the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes are substantially planar and substantially at the same level along the directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate before the movable electrode is displaced, wherein the electrode-confronting surface of the another fixed electrode and the another electrode-confronting surface of the movable electrode confront each other and are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in the first direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients in an overlap between the electrode-confronting surface of the another fixed electrode and the another electrode-confronting surface of the movable electrode remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a third reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in the second direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a fourth reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, wherein the first reduction rate is greater than the second reduction rate, wherein the third reduction rate is smaller than the fourth reduction rate, wherein the first reduction rate is greater than the third reduction rate, and wherein the second reduction rate is smaller than the fourth reduction rate.

12. The capacitive device according to claim 1 further comprising:

another movable electrode, which is located above the surface of the substrate and is movable with respect to the substrate along the directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, wherein the another movable electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the another movable electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface; and

another fixed electrode, which is stationary with respect to the substrate, wherein the another fixed electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the another fixed electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces of the another movable electrode and the another fixed electrode are substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces of the another movable electrode and the another fixed electrode are substantially planar and substantially at the same level along the directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate before the another movable electrode is displaced, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces of the another movable electrode and the another fixed electrode confront each other and are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, wherein when the another movable electrode is displaced in the first direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients in an overlap between the electrode-confronting surfaces of the another electrodes remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a third reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, wherein when the another movable electrode is displaced in the second direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a fourth reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, wherein the first reduction rate is greater than the second reduction rate, wherein the third reduction rate is smaller than the fourth reduction rate, wherein the first reduction rate is greater than the third reduction rate, and wherein the second reduction rate is smaller than the fourth reduction rate.

13. The capacitive device according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive device has a Silicon-On-Insulator structure, wherein the capacitive device further comprises an active layer, which includes the movable and fixed electrodes, and an insulating intermediate layer, wherein the active layer and the substrate are made of silicon, wherein the insulating intermediate layer is made of silicon oxide, wherein the movable electrode is supported by the substrate through the insulating intermediate layer, and wherein the fixed electrode is fixed onto the substrate through the insulating layer.

14. The capacitive device according to claim 1 further comprising four weights, three movable electrodes, and three fixed electrodes, wherein the four weights are arranged in the shape of a cross, wherein each of the movable electrodes extends from each of the weights in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal directions of each of the weights such that the weights and the movable electrodes are substantially point symmetrical, and wherein each of the movable electrodes confronts each of the fixed electrodes.

15. A method for manufacturing a capacitive device that includes:

a substrate;

a movable electrode, which is located above a surface of the substrate and is movable with respect to the substrate along directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface, wherein the movable electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the movable electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface; and

a fixed electrode, which is stationary with respect to the substrate, wherein the fixed electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the fixed electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces are substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces are substantially planar and substantially at the same level along the directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate before the movable electrode is displaced, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces confront each other and are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in a first direction that is substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, the total sum of area-distance quotients in an overlap between the electrode-confronting surfaces remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a first reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a second reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, and wherein the reduction rates are different from each other, wherein one of the electrode-confronting surfaces is substantially planar, wherein the other of the electrode-confronting surfaces includes a first planar surface and a second planar surface, wherein the planar surfaces are substantially planar, wherein the first planar surface is located further away from the surface of the substrate than the second planar surface is, wherein the first planar surface is located further away from the one of the electrode-confronting surfaces than the second planar surface is, and wherein the one of the electrode-confronting surfaces, the first planar surface, and the second planar surface are rectangular, the method comprising;

forming a raw substrate that includes a supporting layer, from which the substrate is formed, a sacrificial layer, and an electrode layer, from which the movable electrode and the fixed electrode are formed, such that the sacrificial layer is located between the supporting layer and the electrode layer;

etching a first predetermined portion of the electrode layer to form a trench;

etching a second predetermined portion of the electrode layer that adjoins the trench; and

etching partially the sacrificial layer at a portion thereof on which the movable electrode and the fixed electrode are formed.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the raw substrate has a Silicon-On-Insulator structure, wherein the supporting layer and the electrode layer are made of silicon, and wherein the sacrificial layer is made of silicon oxide.

17. A method for manufacturing a capacitive device that includes:

a substrate;

a movable electrode, which is located above a surface of the substrate and is movable with respect to the substrate along directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface, wherein the movable electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the movable electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface; and

a fixed electrode, which is stationary with respect to the substrate, wherein the fixed electrode includes a substrate-confronting surface, at which the fixed electrode confronts the surface of the substrate, and an electrode-confronting surface, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces are substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate-confronting surfaces are substantially planar and substantially at the same level along the directions that are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate before the movable electrode is displaced, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces confront each other and are substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in a first direction that is substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, the total sum of area-distance quotients in an overlap between the electrode-confronting surfaces remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a first reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, wherein when the movable electrode is displaced in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction, the total sum of area-distance quotients remains substantially unchanged or decreases to provide a second reduction rate that is substantially zero or more, and wherein the reduction rates are different from each other, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces are substantially planar, wherein one of the electrode-confronting surfaces is longer than the other of the electrode-confronting surfaces along the directions substantially orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, wherein the electrode-confronting surfaces are rectangular, the method comprising;

forming a raw substrate that includes a supporting layer, from which the substrate is formed, a sacrificial layer, and an electrode layer, from which the movable electrode and the fixed electrode are formed, such that the sacrificial layer is located between the supporting layer and the electrode layer;

etching a first predetermined portion of the electrode layer to form a trench;

etching a second predetermined portion of the electrode layer that adjoins the trench; and

etching partially the sacrificial layer at a portion thereof on which the movable electrode and the fixed electrode are formed.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the raw substrate has a Silicon-On-Insulator structure, wherein the supporting layer and the electrode layer are made of silicon, and wherein the sacrificial layer is made of silicon oxide.