UNIAXIAL OR BIAXIAL MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPE WITH IMPROVED SENSITIVITY TO ANGULAR VELOCITY DETECTION

• US 20130061672A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Coronato, Luca, Cazzaniga, Gabriele, Zerbini, Sarah
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5712 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a driving mass, anchored to a substrate via elastic anchorage elements and moved in a plane with a driving movement; and a first sensing mass, suspended inside, and coupled to, the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect to the driving mass in the driving movement and to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; the elastic anchorage elements and the elastic supporting elements cause the detection movement to be decoupled from the driving movement. The elastic supporting elements are coupled to the first sensing mass at an end portion thereof, and the axis of rotation of the detection movement extends, within the first sensing mass, only through the end portion.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a driving mass anchored to the substrate, the driving mass having a first opening defined by a first and a second interior edge portion of the driving mass;

first and second elastic supporting elements; and

a first sensing mass suspended inside the first opening, the first sensing mass having;

an end portion;

first and second side portions;

a first connection portion formed where the first side portion meets the end portion, the first elastic supporting element extending between the first connection portion and a first location on the first interior edge portion of the driving mass; and

a second connection portion formed where the second side portion meets the end portion, the second elastic supporting element extending between the second connection portion and a second location on the second interior edge portion of the driving mass.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the driving mass is configured to move in a plane with a driving movement and the first and second elastic supporting elements are configured to allow the first sensing mass to rotate out of the plane to detect a first angular velocity.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the first and second supporting elements are configured to fix the sensing mass with respect to the driving mass in the driving movement.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the first and second supporting elements are configured to rotate the first sensing mass about an axis of rotation that extends through the first and second supporting elements.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the axis of rotation extends through an entire length of the first and second supporting elements.

33. The device of claim 31 wherein the first sensing mass extends as a cantilever from the first and second elastic supporting elements, and has a main body entirely on one side of the axis of rotation.

34. The device of claim 33, further comprising a first sensing electrode positioned on the substrate underneath the main body.

35. The device of claim 28, wherein the driving mass includes:

a second opening defined by a third and a fourth interior edge portion of the driving mass;

a third and fourth elastic supporting element;

a second sensing mass suspended inside the second opening, the second sensing mass having;

an end portion;

first and second side portions;

a first connection portion formed where the first side portion meets the end portion, the third elastic supporting element extending between the first connection portion and a third location on the third interior edge portion of the driving mass; and

a second connection portion formed where the second side portion meets the end portion, the fourth elastic supporting element extending between the second connection portion and a fourth location on the fourth interior edge portion of the driving mass.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the first and second sensing masses form a first pair of sensing masses, aligned in a first direction of the plane;

the end portions of the first and second sensing masses correspond to a radially more internal sides of the first and second sensing masses, respectively, with respect to a center of rotation of the driving mass.

37. A system, comprising:

a substrate;

a reading stage;

a micro-electromechanical structure electrically coupled to the reading stage, the micro-electromechanical structure including;

a driving mass anchored to the substrate, the driving mass having a first opening defined by a first and a second interior edge portion of the driving mass;

first and second elastic supporting elements; and

a first sensing mass suspended inside the first opening, the first sensing mass having;

an end portion;

first and second side portions;

a first connection portion formed where the first side portion meets the end portion, the first elastic supporting element extending between the first connection portion and a first location on the first interior edge portion of the driving mass; and

a second connection portion formed where the second side portion meets the end portion, the second elastic supporting element extending between the second connection portion and a second location on the second interior edge portion of the driving mass.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the driving mass is configured to move in a plane with a driving movement and the first and second elastic supporting elements are configured to allow the first sensing mass to rotate out of the plane to detect a first angular velocity.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the first and second supporting elements are configured to fix the sensing mass with respect to the driving mass in the driving movement.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the first and second supporting elements are configured to rotate the first sensing mass about an axis of rotation that extends through the first and second supporting elements.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the first sensing mass extends as a cantilever from the first and second elastic supporting elements, and has a main body entirely on one side of the axis of rotation.

42. A method, comprising:

anchoring a driving mass to a substrate, the driving mass being configured to move in a plane with a driving movement;

defining an opening through the driving mass with a first and a second interior edge portion of the driving mass;

forming first and second elastic supporting elements;

suspending a sensing mass inside the opening of the driving mass; and

coupling the sensing mass to the driving mass with the first and second elastic supporting elements by;

coupling the first supporting element between a first location on the first interior edge portion of the driving mass and a first connection portion, the first connection portion being where a first side portion of the sensing mass meets an end portion of the sensing mass; and

coupling the second supporting element between a second location on the second interior edge portion of the driving mass and a second connection portion, the second connection portion being where a second side portion of the sensing mass meets the end portion of the sensing mass.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein suspending the sensing mass includes forming the sensing mass as a cantilever extending from the first and second elastic supporting elements.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein forming the sensing mass includes forming a main body of the sensing mass entirely on one side of an axis of rotation.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising forming a sensing electrode on the substrate underneath the main body.