ACCELERATION SENSOR

• US 20100212423A1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Rehle, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.120
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

An acceleration sensor having a substrate, at least one web, and a seismic mass, the web and the seismic mass being situated over a plane of the substrate. The seismic mass is situated on at least two sides of the web and elastically suspended on the web. The web is anchored on the substrate with the aid of at least one anchor. At least one anchor is situated outside the center of gravity of the seismic mass.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A micromechanical component, comprising:

a carrier substrate;

an outer suspension element;

an inner suspension element;

a frame which is connected to the carrier substrate by the outer suspension element, the frame being tiltable about a first axis in a main plane of extension of the carrier substrate, and being oscillatory in a main plane of extension about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis; and

an oscillation element that is connected to the frame by the inner suspension element and is tiltable about the second axis;

wherein the outer suspension element is dimensioned in so that a resonant frequency of a first oscillation of the frame about the second axis lies within a half width of a resonance curve of a second oscillation of the oscillation element about the second axis.

12. The micromechanical component of claim 11, wherein the first oscillation and the second oscillation have a maximum coupling.

13. The micromechanical component of claim 11, wherein the stiffness of the outer suspension element deviates maximally by 20% from a product of the mass of the outer frame and the square of a second resonant frequency with respect to an uncoupled oscillation of the oscillation element about the second axis.

14. The micromechanical component of claim 11, wherein the frame has at least one printed circuit trace, in an equilibrium position of the frame, and wherein the printed circuit trace fowls a current loop in a plane along the frame, that is parallel to the plane of main extension, and round about the oscillation element.

15. The micromechanical component of claim 11, wherein the oscillation element has a micromirror.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the excitation of the first and of the second oscillation is achieved using a periodic current intensity variation having the excitation frequency in the printed circuit trace and while applying a magnetic field.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a third oscillation of the frame about the first axis is excited using an additional excitation frequency.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the excitation of the third oscillation is achieved using a periodic current intensity variation having the additional excitation frequency in the printed circuit trace and while applying a magnetic field.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the excitation of the first, the second and the third resonant oscillation is achieved using a superposition of two periodic current intensity variations having the excitation frequency and the additional excitation frequency in the printed circuit trace and while applying a magnetic field.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein a third oscillation of the frame about the first axis is excited using an additional excitation frequency, which is one of a static excitation and a resonant excitation.

22. The micromechanical component of claim 11, wherein the stiffness of the outer suspension element deviates maximally by 10% from a product of the mass of the outer frame and the square of a second resonant frequency with respect to an uncoupled oscillation of the oscillation element about the second axis.

23. The micromechanical component of claim 11, wherein the stiffness of the outer suspension element deviates maximally by 5% from a product of the mass of the outer frame and the square of a second resonant frequency with respect to an uncoupled oscillation of the oscillation element about the second axis.

16. A method for providing an oscillation excitation of an oscillation element of a micromechanical component, the method comprising:

exciting, using one excitation frequency, the oscillation element to provide a first oscillation using one excitation frequency; and

exciting, using the one excitation frequency, the oscillation element to provide a second oscillation;

wherein the micromechanical component, having the oscillation element, includes;

a carrier substrate;

an outer suspension element;

an inner suspension element; and

a frame which is connected to the carrier substrate by the outer suspension element, the frame being tiltable about a first axis in a main plane of extension of the carrier substrate, and being oscillatory in a main plane of extension about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis,

wherein the oscillation element is connected to the frame by the inner suspension element and is tiltable about the second axis, and wherein the outer suspension element is dimensioned in so that a resonant frequency of a first oscillation of the frame about the second axis lies within a half width of a resonance curve of a second oscillation of the oscillation element about the second axis.