Micro-machined acoustic wave accelerometer

• US 20070079656A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, James, Magee, Steven, Cook, James
• Application Number:
  US11/248,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20070079656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/514.340
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0975 by acoustic surface wave resonators or delay lines

Abstract

A micro-machined acceleration sensing apparatus includes a piezoelectric substrate that functions as a propagation medium. A diaphragm is configured upon the substrate, wherein the diaphragm is etched to form one or more etched cavities. Sensing elements are formed on the diaphragm, wherein a first sensing element among the sensing elements is located on a top of the diaphragm, a second sensing element among the sensing elements is located on a side of the diaphragm, and a third sensing element among the sensing elements is located at a crystallography different orientation with respect to the first and second sensing elements, such that the substrate, the diaphragm and the plurality of sensing elements comprise a micro-machined acceleration sensing apparatus thereof that is clamped at one end of the substrate to an object under an acceleration and submitted to a force at the free end of the substrate to provide signals indicative of acceleration.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensing apparatus, comprising:

a piezoelectric substrate that functions as a propagation medium;

a diaphragm configured upon said substrate, wherein said diaphragm is etched to form at least one etched cavity thereof; and

a plurality of sensing elements formed on said diaphragm, wherein a first sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located on a top of said diaphragm, a second sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located on a side of said diaphragm, and a third sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located at a crystallography different orientation with respect to said first and second sensing elements, such that said substrate, said diaphragm and said plurality of sensing elements comprise a micro-machined acceleration sensing apparatus thereof that is clamped at one end of said substrate to an object under an acceleration and submitted to a force at said free end of said substrate to provide signals indicative of acceleration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second and third sensing elements among said plurality of sensing elements provide temperature data due to an anisotropic feature of a piezoelectric temperature frequency coefficient associated with said substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an inertial mass fixed at said free end of said substrate such that when said acceleration is applied to said fixed end, said acceleration is converted to a proportional force through utilization of said inertial mass fixed at said free end, wherein said proportional force interacts with an acoustic propagation through a plurality of forces applied to said propagation medium provided by said substrate, thereby generating signals indicative of said acceleration data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said first, second and third sensing elements among said plurality of sensing elements comprises an interdigital transducer (IDT).

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said IDT comprises a SAW filter electrode, wherein a frequency of said SAW filter electrode comprises data indicative of said acceleration.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said IDT comprises a SAW-R electrode, wherein a frequency of said SAW-R electrode comprises data indicative of said acceleration.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said IDT comprises a SAW-DL electrode, wherein a phase of said SAW DL electrode comprises data indicative of said acceleration.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said first, second and third sensing elements among said plurality of sensing elements comprises a reference electrode.

9. An acceleration sensing apparatus, comprising:

a piezoelectric substrate that functions as a propagation medium;

a micromachined mass configured upon said substrate, wherein said micromachined mass is etched to form at least one etched cavity thereof; and

a plurality of sensing elements formed on said micromachined mass, wherein a first sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located on a top of said micromachined mass, a second sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located on a side of said micromachined mass, and a third sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located at a crystallography different orientation with respect to said first and second sensing elements, such that said substrate, said micromachined mass and said plurality of sensing elements comprise a micro-machined acceleration sensing apparatus thereof that is clamped at one end of said substrate to an object under an acceleration and submitted to a force at said free end of said substrate to provide signals indicative of acceleration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said micromachined mass comprises a sensor diaphragm.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said micromachined mass is configured to include a channel formed on a backside of said substrate.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said micromachined mass is rectangular in shape.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said micromachined mass is circular shape

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said micromachined mass possesses a high sensitivity to said acceleration when said acceleration is applied to said acoustic device.

15. A method for forming a micro-machined acceleration sensing apparatus, comprising:

providing a piezoelectric substrate that functions as a propagation medium;

configuring a diaphragm configured upon said substrate, wherein said diaphragm is etched to form at least one etched cavity thereof; and

forming a plurality of sensing elements formed on said diaphragm, wherein a first sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located on a top of said diaphragm, a second sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located on a side of said diaphragm, and a third sensing element among said plurality of sensing elements is located at a crystallography different orientation with respect to said first and second sensing elements, such that said substrate, said diaphragm and said plurality of sensing elements comprise a micro-machined acceleration sensing apparatus thereof that is clamped at one end of said substrate to an object under an acceleration and submitted to a force at said free end of said substrate to provide signals indicative of acceleration.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said second and third sensing elements among said plurality of sensing elements provide temperature data due to an anisotropic feature of a piezoelectric temperature frequency coefficient associated with said substrate.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising fixing an inertial mass at said free end of said substrate such that when said acceleration is applied to said fixed end, said acceleration is converted to a proportional force through utilization of said inertial mass fixed at said free end, wherein said proportional force interacts with an acoustic propagation through a plurality of forces applied to said propagation medium provided by said substrate, thereby generating signals indicative of said acceleration data.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein each of said first, second and third sensing elements among said plurality of sensing elements comprises an interdigital transducer (IDT).

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said IDT comprises a SAW filter electrode, wherein a frequency of said SAW filter electrode comprises data indicative of said acceleration.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said IDT comprises a SAW-R electrode, wherein a frequency of said SAW-R electrode comprises data indicative of said acceleration.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said IDT comprises a SAW-DL electrode, wherein a phase of said SAW DL electrode comprises data indicative of said acceleration.