SENSOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20100186508A1
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kaack, Rolf, Guenther, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 8,584,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.140
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0831 the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A sensor device includes a base plate, a seismic mass having an upper side and a lower side that is situated such that given acceleration of the base plate the seismic mass is capable of being displaced in a direction oriented non-parallel to the upper side and/or to the lower side, at least one raised stop on the seismic mass, and a detection and evaluation device that is adapted to acquire a displacement movement of the seismic mass relative to the base plate and, taking into account the displacement movement, to determine an item of information relating to an acceleration of the sensor device and/or to a force acting on the sensor device, the seismic mass having at least one resilient area that includes the at least one stop and at least one displaceable remaining area, and the resilient area being connected to the remaining area via at least one spring. A method is for manufacturing a sensor device.

Claims

1. A sensor device, comprising:

a base plate;

a seismic mass having an upper side and a lower side that is situated on the base plate such that given an acceleration of the base plate the seismic mass is capable of being displaced relative to the base plate in a direction that is oriented non-parallel to an initial position of at least one of (a) the upper side and (b) the lower side of the seismic mass;

at least one raised stop on at least one of (a) the upper side and (b) the lower side of the seismic mass; and

a detection and evaluation device that is adapted to acquire a displacement movement of the seismic mass relative to the base plate, and, taking into account the displacement movement, to determine an item of information relating to at least one of (a) an acceleration of the sensor device and (b) a force acting on the sensor device;

wherein the seismic mass has at least one resilient area that includes the at least one stop and has at least one displaceable remaining area, the resilient area being connected to the remaining area via at least one spring.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the seismic mass is capable of rotation relative to the base plate about an axis of rotation.

3. The sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the seismic mass is fashioned as a rocker having a mass distribution that is anti-symmetrical relative to the axis of rotation.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring via which the at least one stop is connected to the seismic mass is at least one of (a) U-shaped, (b) V-shaped, (c) linear, and (d) meander-shaped.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stop is connected to the seismic mass via at least two springs that are fashioned symmetrically to an axis of symmetry that extends parallel to at least one of (a) the upper side and (b) the lower side.

6. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein at least two raised stops are situated on an outer surface, situated on at least one of (a) the upper side and (b) the lower side of the seismic mass, of the resilient area.

7. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor devices is arranged as an acceleration sensor.

8. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device is arranged as a rotational rate sensor.

9. A method for manufacturing a sensor device, comprising:

situating a seismic mass having an upper side and a lower side on a base plate, the seismic mass being situated on the base plate such that, given an acceleration of the base plate, the seismic mass is displaced relative to the base plate in a direction that is oriented non-parallel to an initial position of at least one of (a) the upper side and (b) the lower side of the seismic mass;

forming at least one raised stop on at least one of (a) the upper side and (b) the lower side of the seismic mass;

forming a detection and evaluation device that is adapted to acquire, during operation of the sensor device, a displacement movement of the seismic mass relative to the base plate, and, taking into account the displacement movement, to determine an item of information relating to at least one of (a) an acceleration of the sensor device and (b) a force acting on the sensor device; and

forming the seismic mass having at least one resilient area that includes the at least one stop and having at least one displaceable remaining area, the resilient area being connected to the remaining area via at least one spring.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

forming a layer sequence made up of a substrate, an insulating layer that at least partly covers the substrate, at least one of (a) a semiconductor and (b) a metallic layer that at least partly covers the insulating layer, and a micromechanical functional layer that at least partly covers the at least one of (a) the semiconductor and (b) the metallic layer;

structuring out of at least one electrode from the at least one of (a) the semiconductor and (b) the metallic layer as a subunit of the detection and evaluation device; and

structuring out at least of the seismic mass, of the at least one stop, and of the at least one spring from the micromechanical functional layer.