ELEMENT STRUCTURE, INERTIA SENSOR, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20110290023A1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TAKAGI, Shigekazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,950,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• 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 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0845 using a plurality of spring-mass systems being arranged on one common planar substrate, the systems not being mechanically coupled and the sensitive direction of each system being different
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0865 using integrated signal processing circuitry

Abstract

The manufacturing of an element structure including two or more sensor element is to be facilitated. An element structure includes a first substrate including a first support layer and a first sensor element disposed on the first support layer and a second substrate including a second support layer and a second sensor element disposed on the second support layer, wherein the second substrate is disposed on the first substrate via a spacer member in a state in which the first sensor element and the second sensor element are disposed to face each other.

Claims

1. An element structure, comprising:

a first substrate that has a first support layer on which a first sensor element is mounted; and

a second substrate that has a second support layer on which a second sensor element is mounted,

wherein a surface on which the first sensor element of the first support layer is mounted and a surface on which the second sensor element of the second support layer is mounted face each other.

2. The element structure according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor element detects a force in a first direction when seen in plan view, and the second sensor element detects a force in a second direction intersecting with the first direction when seen in plan view.

3. The element structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first support layer and the second support layer includes an insulating layer and at least one of the first sensor element and the second sensor element is supported via the insulating layer.

4. The element structure according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor element includes a first movable weight part supported to the first support layer side of the second support layer, a first movable electrode part formed the first movable weight part, and a first fixing electrode part disposed to face the first movable electrode, when the first movable weight part is applied with the force in the first direction when seen in plan view, the first movable electrode part being displaced in the first direction, and

the second sensor element includes a second movable weight part supported to the second support layer side of the first support layer, a second movable electrode part formed the second movable weight part, and a second fixing electrode part disposed to face the second movable electrode, when the movable weight part is applied with a force the second direction when seen in plan view, the second movable electrode part being displaced in the second direction.

5. The element structure according to claim 4, wherein the first sensor element include a first capacitor for the first sensor of which the capacitance value is reduced and a second capacitor for the first sensor of which the capacitance value is increased, when a force in the first direction is applied to the first movable weight part, and

the second sensor element include a first capacitor for the second sensor of which the capacitance value is reduced and a second capacitor for the second sensor of which the capacitance value is increased, when a force in the second direction is applied to the second movable weight part.

6. The element structure according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is provided with a third sensor element, and

the third sensor element includes a capacitor for the third sensor element of which the capacitance value is changed when a force in a third direction intersecting with the surface including the first direction and the second direction is generated.

7. The element structure according to claim 6, wherein

the third sensor element includes the first movable beam as a movable electrode of which one end is supported to the first support layer side of the second support layer, the other end has a void part provided therearround, and the first fixing part as a fixing electrode that is fixed to the second support layer side of the first support layer,

wherein the first fixing part part is disposed to face the first movable beam, with a gap therebetween.

8. The element structure according to claim 7, wherein the third sensor element has a second fixing part as a fixing electrode that is fixed to the first support layer side of the second support layer, and a second movable beam as a movable electrode of which one end is supported to the second support layer side of the first support layer, the other end has a void part provided therearround,

wherein the second fixing part is disposed to face the second movable beam, with a gap therebetween.

9. The element structure according to claim 6, wherein the third sensor element is disposed around the forming area of at least one of the first sensor element and the second sensor element when seen in plan view.

10. The element structure according to claim 1, wherein a spacer member is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

11. The element structure according to claim 10, wherein a sealing body having a space formed therein is formed by the first substrate, the second substrate, and the space member.

12. The element structure according to claim 10, wherein the spacer member includes:

a resin core part formed using a resin; and

a conductor layer formed to cover at least a portion of a surface of the resin core part.

13. An inertia sensor, comprising:

the element structure according to claim 1; and

a signal processing circuit that processes electrical signals output from the element structure.

14. An electronic device having the element structure according to claim 1.