Physical sensor
First Claim
1. A physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
- a substrate including a silicon layer, an oxide film and a support layer, which are stacked in this order; and
a sensor portion includes a movable portion, a fixed portion and a lower electrode, wherein the movable portion and the fixed portion are disposed in the silicon layer, the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, the lower electrode is disposed on the support layer, and the lower electrode faces the movable electrode via a space without the oxide film,wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode,wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a second direction perpendicularly to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the lower electrode,wherein the beam includes a vertical beam displaceable along with the second direction and a horizontal beam displaceable along with the first direction,wherein the vertical beam has a thickness in the second direction, and the horizontal beam has a thickness in the second direction, andwherein the thickness of the vertical beam is smaller than the thickness of the horizontal beam.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A physical sensor includes: a substrate having a silicon layer, an oxide film and a support layer; and a sensor portion having movable and fixed electrodes and a lower electrode. The movable electrode is supported by a beam on the support layer. The fixed electrode faces the movable electrode. The lower electrode is disposed on the support layer and faces the movable electrode. The physical sensor detects horizontal physical quantity based on a capacitance between the movable and fixed electrodes, and vertical physical quantity based on a capacitance between the movable and lower electrodes. The beam includes vertical and horizontal beams. The thickness of the vertical beam is smaller than the thickness of the horizontal beam.
51 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
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a substrate including a silicon layer, an oxide film and a support layer, which are stacked in this order; and a sensor portion includes a movable portion, a fixed portion and a lower electrode, wherein the movable portion and the fixed portion are disposed in the silicon layer, the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, the lower electrode is disposed on the support layer, and the lower electrode faces the movable electrode via a space without the oxide film, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a second direction perpendicularly to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the lower electrode, wherein the beam includes a vertical beam displaceable along with the second direction and a horizontal beam displaceable along with the first direction, wherein the vertical beam has a thickness in the second direction, and the horizontal beam has a thickness in the second direction, and wherein the thickness of the vertical beam is smaller than the thickness of the horizontal beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 8, 9, 10)
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3. A physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
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a substrate including a silicon layer, an oxide film and a support layer, which are stacked in this order, wherein the silicon layer includes a lower layer, an insulation film and an upper layer, and the lower layer is disposed on the oxide film; and a sensor portion includes a movable portion, a fixed portion and a lower electrode, wherein the movable portion and the fixed portion are disposed in the upper layer of the silicon layer, the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, the lower electrode is disposed on the support layer, and the lower electrode faces the movable electrode via a space without the oxide film, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a second direction perpendicularly to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the lower electrode, wherein the beam includes a vertical beam displaceable along with the second direction and a horizontal beam displaceable along with the first direction, wherein the vertical beam has a thickness in the second direction, and the horizontal beam has a thickness in the second direction, and wherein the thickness of the vertical beam is smaller than the thickness of the horizontal beam. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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6. A physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
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a substrate including a silicon layer, an oxide film and a support layer, which are stacked in this order; and a sensor portion includes a movable portion, a fixed portion and an upper electrode, wherein the movable portion and the fixed portion are disposed in the silicon layer, the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, the upper electrode is spaced apart from the movable electrode by a predetermined distance, and the upper electrode is disposed opposite to the lower electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a second direction perpendicularly to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the upper electrode, wherein the beam includes a vertical beam displaceable along with the second direction and a horizontal beam displaceable along with the first direction, wherein the vertical beam has a thickness in the second direction, and the horizontal beam has a thickness in the second direction, and wherein the thickness of the vertical beam is smaller than the thickness of the horizontal beam. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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11. A physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
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a substrate including a silicon layer, an oxide film and a support layer, which are stacked in this order; and a sensor portion includes a movable portion and a fixed portion, wherein the movable portion and the fixed portion are disposed in the silicon layer, the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the sensor portion further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor includes a first movable electrode having a first thickness in a second direction perpendicular to the substrate, wherein the second sensor includes a second movable electrode having a second thickness in the second direction, and wherein the first thickness is different from the second thickness. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A manufacturing method of a physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
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forming a lower electrode on a surface of a support layer; forming a silicon layer on the surface of the support layer via the lower electrode and an oxide film, wherein the silicon layer, the oxide film and the support layer provide a substrate; implanting an oxygen ion at a lower part of the silicon layer, wherein the lower part is disposed on an oxide film side, and an upper part of the silicon layer opposite to the lower part provides a vertical beam; performing heat treatment to the lower part of the silicon layer so that the lower part provides a sacrifice oxide film, which contacts the oxide film; forming a mask on the surface of the silicon layer, and forming an opening in the mask, wherein the opening in the mask corresponds to a movable portion and a fixed portion; etching the silicon layer through the mask so that the movable portion and the fixed portion are formed in the silicon layer; and etching the sacrifice oxide film and a part of the oxide film through an etched portion of the silicon layer in the etching the silicon layer so that the movable portion is separated from the support layer, wherein the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, wherein the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, wherein the etching the sacrifice oxide film and the part of the oxide film provides that the movable electrode faces the lower electrode via a space without the oxide film, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a second direction perpendicularly to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the lower electrode, wherein the beam includes the vertical beam displaceable along with the second direction and a horizontal beam displaceable along with the first direction, wherein the vertical beam has a thickness in the second direction, and the horizontal beam has a thickness in the second direction, and wherein the etching the sacrifice oxide film and the part of the oxide film provides that the thickness of the vertical beam is different from the thickness of the horizontal beam. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A manufacturing method of a physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
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forming a lower layer of a silicon layer on a support layer via an oxide film; patterning the lower layer so that a lower electrode is formed on a surface of the oxide film; forming an insulation film on the lower layer; patterning the insulation film so that a part of the lower electrode is exposed from the insulation film; forming an upper layer of the silicon layer on the insulation film and the part of the lower electrode, wherein the silicon layer, the oxide film and the support layer provide a substrate; implanting an oxygen ion at a lower part of the upper layer, wherein the lower part is disposed on an insulation film side, and an upper part of the upper layer opposite to the lower part provides a vertical beam; performing heat treatment to the lower part of the upper layer so that the lower part provides a sacrifice oxide film, which contacts the insulation film; forming a mask on the surface of the silicon layer, and forming an opening in the mask, wherein the opening in the mask corresponds to a movable portion and a fixed portion; etching the upper layer through the mask so that the movable portion and the fixed portion are formed in the upper layer; and etching the sacrifice oxide film and a part of the oxide film through an etched portion of the upper layer in the etching the upper layer so that the movable portion is separated from the support layer, wherein the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, wherein the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, wherein the etching the sacrifice oxide film and the part of the oxide film provides that the movable electrode faces the lower electrode via a space without the oxide film, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a second direction perpendicularly to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the lower electrode, wherein the beam includes the vertical beam displaceable along with the second direction and a horizontal beam displaceable along with the first direction, wherein the vertical beam has a thickness in the second direction, and the horizontal beam has a thickness in the second direction, and wherein the etching the sacrifice oxide film and the part of the oxide film provides that the thickness of the vertical beam is different from the thickness of the horizontal beam. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A manufacturing method of a physical sensor for detecting a physical quantity comprising:
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forming a silicon layer on a surface of a support layer via an oxide film, wherein the silicon layer, the oxide film and the support layer provide a substrate; implanting an oxygen ion at a lower part of the silicon layer, wherein the lower part is disposed on an oxide film side, and an upper part of the silicon layer opposite to the lower part provides a vertical beam; performing heat treatment to the lower part of the silicon layer so that the lower part provides a sacrifice oxide film, which contacts the oxide film; forming a mask on the surface of the silicon layer, and forming an opening in the mask, wherein the opening in the mask corresponds to a movable portion and a fixed portion; etching the silicon layer through the mask so that the movable portion and the fixed portion are formed in the silicon layer; etching the sacrifice oxide film and a part of the oxide film through an etched portion of the silicon layer in the etching the silicon layer so that the movable portion is separated from the support layer; and forming a cap over a surface of the silicon layer via a second oxide film after the etching the sacrifice oxide film and the part of the oxide film, wherein the cap covers the movable portion and the fixed portion; and forming an upper electrode, which faces the movable portion, wherein the movable portion includes a movable electrode, which is supported by a beam on the support layer, wherein the fixed portion includes a fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, wherein the etching the sacrifice oxide film and the part of the oxide film provides that the movable electrode faces the lower electrode via a space without the oxide film, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a first direction parallel to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode, wherein the physical sensor detects the physical quantity along with a second direction perpendicularly to the substrate based on a capacitance between the movable electrode and the lower electrode, wherein the beam includes the vertical beam displaceable along with the second direction and a horizontal beam displaceable along with the first direction, wherein the vertical beam has a thickness in the second direction, and the horizontal beam has a thickness in the second direction, and wherein the etching the sacrifice oxide film and the part of the oxide film provides that the thickness of the vertical beam is different from the thickness of the horizontal beam.
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Specification